We’re going to be at the Fiorentina-Benfica match in Newark

As you probably know, Fiorentina will be in the USA this summer for the International Champions Cup, a preseason tournament of dubious importance for anyone but the clubs involved, who all make a LOT of money from it. That said, it’s a rare chance for fans to see their favorite European teams without having to cross the Atlantic, and an even rarer occurrence for the Viola, who haven’t been invited since 201_.

Fiorentina play the first match of the tournament at 1:00 AM GMT/8:00 PM CDT on Tuesday, 16 July, in Bridgeview, Illinois’ SeatGeek Stadium (it’s right outside of Chicago). The next match comes against Arsenal at 12:00 AM GMT/8:00 PM EDT on Saturday, 20 July, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. If you’re looking for other Viola Nation folks to watch the former with, check here; for the latter, check here.

The final fixture, though, is at 12:00 AM GMT/8:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, 24 July, at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey (it’s just outside Newark). That’s the one that VN will register an official presence at. We should have a few names from the masthead in attendance, as well as a bunch of regular commenters and community members. We’re currently putting together a little bit of a schedule with a local contact (I don’t know a thing about New Jersey) which should include lunch, dinner, and possibly a bit of time in the pub somewhere.

If you’re interested in joining us, leave a comment and I’ll get your contact information. To that end, here’s a question for how you’d like to stay in touch for this whole thing.