Toon set up Kansas friendly

By foxsports
Published

The Major League Soccer side last summer beat Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium in front of 52,424 fans - the largest crowd to ever attend a football match in Kansas City. Magpies manager Alan Pardew added: "Myself and the team are really looking forward to coming to America in the summer and playing against Sporting Kansas City. "We're planning a few days' training in Kansas before the game which will form an integral part of our build-up for the 2011/12 season. "I know Manchester United were in Kansas last year, and went home beaten, so we know full well what a tough game it'll be for us, but that's exactly the sort of challenge we'll be looking for." The match will be the second international event scheduled to be held at Livestrong Sporting Park, which is currently under construction. The state-of-the-art, US dollars 200million venue is MLS's newest soccer-specific stadium and will host a 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup double-header on June 14, featuring the United States men's national team.