Arsenal to face off with MLS All-Stars in second United States visit since 1989

Arsenal will be the opponent for the 2016 MLS All-Star game, Major League Soccer announced.

The annual mid-summer friendly will take place on 28 July at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium, the 18,000-seat home of the Earthquakes.

The Gunners, who will oppose Major League Soccer’s best on the only non-European leg of their pre-season preparations, will be playing their second game on American soil since 1989. The first was a 1-0 defeat to New York Red Bulls in 2014.

After the All-Star game, Arsenal will head south for a 31 July friendly against Mexican club Chivas at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

“Preseason is a critically important time for us and we are delighted to be going to San Jose and Los Angeles to participate in the 2016 MLS All-Star game and to play Chivas,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said in a statement.

“We have tremendous support across America and enjoyed our visit to New York in the summer of 2014 when we played the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.

“We look forward to giving our US fans the chance to see the team play live.”