Manchester United will finish their tour of the USA by facing arch-rivals Liverpool in the “Back Country” of South Carolina. Columbia, home of the University of South Carolina, is in back country part of the state. Versus Charleston, Hilton Head etc. are in the Low Country part of South Carolina.
Although this is just a friendly, it’s being held where it is for a reason- the venue holds 77,000 people. This will be a big attraction down in Dixie.
Liverpool FC vs Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Aug. 3, Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina, 12:30am (BST), 7:30pm local
Competition: club friendly, branded the “Rivals in Red”
Starting XI Predictions: United Liverpool
Buy the book: Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America
This will be United’s final tune up before the “curtain raiser” of the Community Shield.
Manchester United Starting XI Prediction vs Liverpool FC (Friendly)
Andre Onana; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof, Harry Amass; Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay, Mason Mount, Amad Diallo, Jadon Sancho
Prediction: Man United 1, Liverpool FC 1
It is never actually “a friendly” when these two sides get together
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.