Big-time soccer match appears headed to Comerica Park – Detroit Free Press
It appears soccer is coming to Comerica Park.
The Detroit Tigers today sent out a news release with the International Champions Cup logo that announced a news conference at noon Wednesday.
This comes a few weeks after a report by French newspaper L’Equipe that Paris Saint-Germain would play AS Roma on July 19 in Detroit as part of the International Champions Cup. But no venue was stated. The match is expected to be played in the evening.
Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez was beaming in the clubhouse when a reporter mentioned that the news conference Wednesday was likely to announce the PSG-Roma exhibition. Martinez is arguably the biggest soccer fan on the Tigers. He routinely plays soccer video games and has gone overseas to watch matches in the off-season.
“Wow!” Martinez said, who then told Jose Iglesias and Omar Vizquel, who were seated a few feet away on a couch, watching the Champions League semifinal between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. “They’re going to play in Comerica Park?
“I like Edinson Cavani,” Martinez said of the PSG forward. “(Angel) Di Maria, Thiago Silva, Javier Pastore.”
Martinez became dejected when told the Tigers would be playing in Kansas City on July 19.
“Wow,” Martinez said, this time without any excitement in his voice.
Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor has hosted ICC matches two of the last three years. In 2016, Real Madrid beat Chelsea FC, 3-2, before 105,000 fans. In 2014, Manchester United beat Real Madrid, 3-1, in a match before 109,318 that broke the all-time attendance record for a soccer game in the U.S.
This would be the first soccer game ever at Comerica Park. Soccer is not usually played in baseball stadiums, though we found a virtual tour of what the soccer setup looks like inside Yankee Stadium in New York.