What should normally be the second matchday of the pre-season tour, FC Barcelona is expected to step on the pitch for the first time in the United States as the previous game against Juventus had to be canceled due to a virus affecting the majority of the Blaugrana squad.
Now, leaving behind the health issues, the Catalans are ready to finally kick off the pre-season action against Premier League runner-ups Arsenal.
Barca News Network brings you three talking points before the friendly match against Arsenal, which will be played in the shared home of Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
1. Finally, matchday
It came as a surprising – and for many, an utterly revolting – piece of news as just hours before the kick-off, it was announced that the game between Barcelona and Juventus will be canceled. As it was mentioned in the official statement, it was because ‘a significant part of the Blaugrana squad has a viral gastroenteritis’.
Gastroenteritis – or stomach flu – is a common disease that is caused by either viral or bacterial infection. While it can be very unpleasant, it is not a seriously dangerous condition and clears up pretty quickly, which is why it seems that the infected members of the squad are already over it and are ready to play tonight.
There has been rumors circulating about how the virus got in the Blaugrana camp and who were infected players and staff members, but, of course, names weren’t officially revealed to the media. Due to this unfortunate series of events, Barcelona had to pull out of the friendly match against Juventus, which will not be rescheduled later.
2. An opponent on the rise
Looking forward, the Catalan team will face a very promising side in the mighty Arsenal. Last year, Mikel Arteta’s side was finally back in the title race after years of steady rebuilding, and were serious contenders leading the table for the majority of the season, but Manchester City proved to be unstoppable in the final part of the season
Still, the silver medal shows that this team has a bright future, and the Gunners spent this summer bolstering their roster with high-quality additions in Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, and Jurriën Timber, the inevitable signings to make a stride forward towards success on a consistent level, something that Arteta imagined in a 5-phase plan.
According to his own words, Arsenal’s performance was a bit ahead of what was expected from them last season, but the team, both collectively and individually, stepped up to produce a great run, bringing the title dreams really close. Now, with the grandiose investments bolstering the quality of the team, it projects a promising image for the upcoming season for the Gunners.
3. New shirt debut
Today Barcelona released their away strip for the 2023/24 season, which lends quite an unusual look for the Blaugranas. The players will wear a white jersey on the away games this season, with blue shorts and socks with red and blue stripes completing the package. The Catalan club stayed away from such design for a very long time, given the typical association of the color scheme with Real Madrid.
Precisely, it was 44 years ago that the team led by Johan Cruyff wear such a white dress, and this season’s kit choice pays tribute to the Dutch legend who developed a new playing style and identity at the club. The retro crest on the jersey and the red and blue bands on the end of the sleeves reminiscing to the captain’s armband are also celebrating the club icon who captained the team during the 70s.
The new rulebreaker kit will debut tonight against Arsenal, alongside a handful of players who are expected to make their first appearance in a Barcelona jersey. Such players can be the newly-signed Oriol Romeu, Ilkay Gündogan, or youngsters from the academy such as Ander Astralaga, Álex Valle, Fermín López, or Mikayil Faye.
