A glamour fixture against a full-strength Chinese national team is the highlight of a pre-season Asian tour announced today by Melbourne Victory.
The match on July 4 will be China’s final hit out before the upcoming AFC Asian Cup and provides Victory with an ideal preparation ahead of its Hyundai A-League Premiership and Championship defence.
The Asian tour will also feature the Lord Mayor’s Cup on July 7, with Melbourne set to face sister-city rivals Tianjin Teda, who currently sit in sixth position on the Chinese Super League ladder.
Victory already boasts an impressive record against Chinese opposition, after defeating Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai twice in the North Queensland Challenge Trophy last year.
Victory Chairman Geoff Lord said: “This tour is highly significant in that it establishes Melbourne’s credentials within an Asian context, both for our club and the city. It’s also a great opportunity to provide visibility for our sponsors in the Asian continent.”
As well as providing high-quality match practice for the upcoming Hyundai A-League season, Victory coach Ernie Merrick also sees the tour as valuable experience ahead of the 2008 AFC Champions League.
“We see preparation as one of the fundamental keys to success,” Merrick said. “If you look at the difference between our inaugural season in the Hyundai A-League, compared to our second season, preparation was such an important factor.
“Not only did we have our squad assembled in good time, but we were also able to organise high-quality matches in a competitive environment. We’re expecting that our matches in China against a leading Super League team, and more particularly against the Chinese national team, will provide even better preparation than last season.”
Victory CEO Geoff Miles said the club was proud to be given the opportunity to compete on the international stage and believed the Chinese tour would assist the club in raising its international profile.
“It’s very pleasing to be part of the Lord Mayor’s Cup,” Miles said. “We are naturally thrilled to represent Melbourne and Victoria internationally with our participation in this game in Tianjin, supporting Melbourne’s sister-city relationship.
“We are also keen to explore potential business and promotional opportunities that may be cultivated as we embark on our participation in the AFC Champions League.”
http://www.melbournevictory.com.au/default.aspx?s=mvfc_newsdisplay&id=18060
Great stuff.
The match on July 4 will be China’s final hit out before the upcoming AFC Asian Cup and provides Victory with an ideal preparation ahead of its Hyundai A-League Premiership and Championship defence.
The Asian tour will also feature the Lord Mayor’s Cup on July 7, with Melbourne set to face sister-city rivals Tianjin Teda, who currently sit in sixth position on the Chinese Super League ladder.
Victory already boasts an impressive record against Chinese opposition, after defeating Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai twice in the North Queensland Challenge Trophy last year.
Victory Chairman Geoff Lord said: “This tour is highly significant in that it establishes Melbourne’s credentials within an Asian context, both for our club and the city. It’s also a great opportunity to provide visibility for our sponsors in the Asian continent.”
As well as providing high-quality match practice for the upcoming Hyundai A-League season, Victory coach Ernie Merrick also sees the tour as valuable experience ahead of the 2008 AFC Champions League.
“We see preparation as one of the fundamental keys to success,” Merrick said. “If you look at the difference between our inaugural season in the Hyundai A-League, compared to our second season, preparation was such an important factor.
“Not only did we have our squad assembled in good time, but we were also able to organise high-quality matches in a competitive environment. We’re expecting that our matches in China against a leading Super League team, and more particularly against the Chinese national team, will provide even better preparation than last season.”
Victory CEO Geoff Miles said the club was proud to be given the opportunity to compete on the international stage and believed the Chinese tour would assist the club in raising its international profile.
“It’s very pleasing to be part of the Lord Mayor’s Cup,” Miles said. “We are naturally thrilled to represent Melbourne and Victoria internationally with our participation in this game in Tianjin, supporting Melbourne’s sister-city relationship.
“We are also keen to explore potential business and promotional opportunities that may be cultivated as we embark on our participation in the AFC Champions League.”
http://www.melbournevictory.com.au/default.aspx?s=mvfc_newsdisplay&id=18060
Great stuff.
rolleyes
