Premier League champions Chelsea will be looking to kick-off their pre-season tour of America in style when they take on New York Red Bulls in the opening match of the International Champions Cup on Thursday morning.

Jose Mourinho’s main aspirations will to be to give his players some match fitness and hopefully not pick up any injuries before they take on the tougher tests of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona next week, all building up to the Community Shield clash with Arsenal on August 2.

The International Champions Cup formerly known as the World Football Challenge, has hosted some of the biggest clubs in world football with Real Madrid been the inaugural winners of the ICC back in 2013 and Manchester United lifting the trophy last summer.

Chelsea have begun to grow their presence as a club stateside especially in New York over the past few years. They played at the Yankee Stadium in both 2012 and 2013 against PSG and Manchester City and played AC Milan way back in 2005 in the Giants Stadium but have never played the Red Bulls in that time. 

New faces

There has been quite a transformation at Stamford Bridge with club legends Petr Cech and Didier Drogba replaced by Stoke’s Asmir Begovic and Monaco’s Radamel Falcao this summer.

There also seems to be an injection of youth with Brazilian midfielders Nathan and Kennedy been brought in from Atletico Paranaense and Fluminense respectively and the deal to bring Everton’s John Stones to London as a long-term replacement for legendary captain John Terry reportedly nearing completion.

It also seems to be coming together with Mourinho saying in the pre-match press conference that they: “are a very happy group.” And that the “Players feel it. We are a club at peace.”

The opposition

One advantage that hosts New York Red Bulls will have is match sharpness, as they are well into their MLS season. After 19 matches, they currently in third position in the Eastern Conference division of the MLS and sit just six points behind leaders D.C. United.

They managed a 2-0 victory over Orlando City last time out in the league, but they are going into this match on a back of a defeat to Philadelphia Union in the US Open cup.

A late equaliser from Lloyd Sam was enough to cancel out an opener from Eric Ayuk Mbu but eventually ended up losing out 4-3 on penalties.

New York Red Bulls will take on Chelsea at the Red Bull Arena, New Jersey on Thursday, July 23 with kick-off at 2:05 am.