2019 International Champions Cup lineup is disappointing

Since launching the annual soccer tournament in 2013, the one constant about the International Champions Cup has been change. But this summer, more than any other, the changes have led to a lineup that is rather underwhelming.

The clubs participating in this summer’s tournament in the United States are AC Milan, Arsenal, AS Roma, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Chivas and Real Madrid. While the return of Zinedine Zidane’s side to US soil is welcomed, the remaining teams don’t have as much of a wow factor. Chivas, making their first appearance in the ICC, will be cheered by huge numbers of Mexican-Americans. The Madrid derby at Metlife Stadium should be an interesting encounter. Also the good news is that Arsenal will be undertaking one of their biggest tours of the United States in their long history. But other than those aforementioned clubs, there’s not a lot to get excited about.

AC Milan and AS Roma have been to the US countless times. Bayern Munich, as we saw last summer, had a difficult time attracting fans to their game in Miami.

And the biggest clubs — namely Manchester United, Barcelona, Spurs, Manchester City and Juventus — are all playing in the Asian edition of the International Champions Cup. (Liverpool has decided to run their own tour, which will likely be in the United States this summer).

If you’re a fan of one of the teams participating in the competition and your favorite team is heading to your city, then consider yourself lucky. But for soccer fans in Philadelphia, Ann Arbor and Miami — three areas of the country who have regularly generated large attendances for ICC games — Relevent Sports has decided not to play any games there this summer.

For the neutrals and for the TV viewers, the 2019 installment of the American version of ICC lacks a lot of excitement compared to previous years. As well as the disappointment of only one Premier League club playing in the USA version of ICC, it would have been a joy to see River Plate or Boca Juniors play stateside. Or how about Flamengo or Corinthians?

What the International Champions Cup is missing this summer is variety. In order to keep the tournament engaging and a must-see event, it’s imperative that the competition evolves. The summer 2019 edition has appeared, on first look, to have stagnated.

Here’s the schedule for the 2019 International Champions Cup matches to be played in the United States:

(all kickoff times listed are in the Eastern United States timezone)

Tuesday, July 16

AS Roma vs. Chivas (International Champions Cup), 9pm, SeatGeek Stadium, Chicago [TICKETS]

Wednesday, July 17

Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich (International Champions Cup), 10pm, Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles [TICKETS]

Saturday, July 20

Arsenal vs. AS Roma (International Champions Cup), 4pm, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte [TICKETS]

Benfica vs. Chivas (International Champions Cup), 6pm, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara [TICKETS]

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (International Champions Cup), 8pm, NRG Stadium, Houston [TICKETS]

Tuesday, July 23

Arsenal vs. Real Madrid (International Champions Cup), 7pm, Fedex Field, Maryland [TICKETS]

Bayern Munich vs. AC Milan (International Champions Cup), 9pm, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City [TICKETS]

Chivas vs. Atletico Madrid (International Champions Cup), 9pm, Globe Life Park, Arlington, TX [TICKETS]

Wednesday, July 24

AS Roma vs. Benfica (International Champions Cup), 7pm, Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ [TICKETS]

Friday, July 26

Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid (International Champions Cup), 7:30pm, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford [TICKETS]

Sunday, July 28

AC Milan vs. Benfica (International Champions Cup), 3pm, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA [TICKETS]