Chelsea will travel to the United States in August to compete in the Women’s International Champions Cup (WICC) according to reports on The Blues’ official website.
Emma Hayes will take her team Stateside for the pre-season friendly tournament which will take place at Providence Park in Portland, the home of National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club Portland Thorns between 17 and 20 August.
Chelsea will face European champions Lyon in their first tournament match on 17 August with the winners of that tie taking on the winners of the Rest of the World fixture between Portland Thorns and C.F. Monterrey which will be staged on the same day. The second round of matches (the final and third-place play-off) will take place three days later on 20 August.
The winners of the tournament will hold the right to call themselves world champions given the stature of the participating clubs.
Speaking following the announcement, Chelsea boss Hayes said “We are really excited to take part in the WICC and relish this unique opportunity for the chance to be crowned the world’s best club team following an unforgettable season and a fantastic summer of football.
“We can’t wait to see our Blues supporters cheering us on in Portland.”
Hayes will have to take care with player load during the club’s pre-season programme just as she did last summer. The UEFA Women’s EURO is not scheduled to conclude until 31 July meaning that players who participate in the latter stages of that tournament may be rested or play little part in the United States.