America goes wild as Chelsea prepare to face Man City in the Yankee stadium

It is once again a soccer friendly season, Its that time of the year Clubs tend to build their global fanbase and at the same time boost their commercial income.

The two English giants are currently on US soil in preparation for the Battle of the Blues (Chelsea vs. Manchester City). The double header fixture which is just coming days after the close of the English premierleague season, will be played today Thursday May 23 at St Louis’s Busch Stadium while the second match is scheduled for Saturday May 25 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. The match will be televised live on ESPN!

Stars of both teams have ceased the opportunity to catch their breath after a breath taking season which saw Chelsea play 69 games ( the highest in British football).

Handy: Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech plays the drums in the team's dining room at their hotel in St Louis

Here to stay: Cech has been at Chelsea for nine years. He was signed by Claudio Ranieri but only moved in the summer Jose Mourinho arrived

Petr Cech is good with his hands - he's proved that in the Premier League during the past nine years. Nevertheless you might be surprised to discover that he can play the drums. The Czech goalkeeper, who turned 31 earlier this week, has been learning how to play the drums in recent years.

He previously said: 'It is a great way of relaxing. To learn a U2 song after a month is an extraordinary feeling.'

Scenic: Chelsea train at the Busch Stadium in St Louis, where more than 10,000 fans turned out to watch

And Cech wasn't the only player enjoying the trip - which some regard as a step too far for the squad that has already played 69 games this season.When at Euro 2012 with his country he even joined forces with Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky, who plays the guitar.

                            

Home from home: Luiz always encounters people with crazy hair (often wigs) trying to emulate him at Stamford Bridge and St Louis didn't disappoint

David Luiz was one of many players happy to spend time posing for pictures with fans and signing autographs as Chelsea held an open training session.

Over 10,000 fans turned up to watch the team prepare for their first clash with Man City (1.30am Friday UK time) at the Busch Stadium, home of the St Louis Cardinals baseball team.

Samba stars: Along with Luiz, Chelsea have Ramires, Oscar on tour, and another Brazilian, Lucas Piazon, on loan at Malaga

The Brazilian - touted to become a future captain of the club - was hailed by the spectators who saw Rafael Benitez hold a training match on a reduced-size pitch.

                             

                            

Supporters were shown a video montage of the 2012 Champions League triumph before players signed autographs and went on a lap of appreciation.

                            

                            

Five players went head-to-head in a crossbar challenge at the end - Luiz, Cech, young defender Andreas Christensen, Demba Ba and Gary Cahill - with the latter emering the winner.

Young gun: Ruben Loftus-Cheek (centre) is one of a few youngsters that have been brought on the trip to the States

The trip was a good experience for the younger players brought along - Nathan Ake and Ruben Loftus-Cheek both tweeted about how much they were enjoying themselves.

                                      

Chelsea must play just twice more - against Man City - and then their players can have a well-deserved rest Benitez is taking charge of these two matches but the interim manager will be leaving at the end of May.

                                         

                                         

Three years after their first visit, Manchester City were back in Harlem yesterday. The chief executive was different — Garry Cook has been replaced by Ferran Soriano — and this time they were without a manager.

Assuring: Ferran Soriano (left) claims New York City FC will work within the local community

                          

But City continue on with their mission to bury their name deep in New York’s consciousness and they were back at the Lexington Academy to look at the dome they have now placed over the football pitch they plonked on the top of this big building three years ago.

The academy’s under-privileged students seemed to approve as they played football with Pablo Zabaleta and a few other City first-team regulars. It remains a remarkable and innovative facility.      

                                   

                              

Taking some tips: Joe Hart  is coached by New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning

                         

                              

                               

New York Giants' Aaron Ross tries the English equivalent of football

                               

                         

Elsewhere on the Astroturf surface, though, Soriano was being quizzed by reporters sceptical of City’s new MLS franchise, New York City FC, and in particular plans to build a stadium across town in the borough of Queens.

Wednesday morning’s New York Times ran an editorial under the headline: ‘A Team is Born but not all Cheer’ and questions are being asked about the effect the Barclays Premier League club’s plans may have on the community in the area earmarked for its new home.

Even the New York Mets baseball team are understood to be dubious about sharing their neighbourhood with a venture part-funded by their rivals the Yankees.

                              

                         

 James Milner pitched in by trying his hand at the quarterback role 

Seeking to reassure, Soriano said: ‘In England we run a football club which takes its place in the community very seriously. It embraces its community and listens to its community, and that will be exactly the same approach we would aim to take over here. We will listen to people.

‘This is not a marketing trick, this is about soccer. It begins and ends with playing good soccer and we will do our best to be the best.’

                           

The waiting game: City stars arrive for their press conference

Soriano stood alongside a host of dignitaries at Lexington on Wednesday, among them New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. ‘I look forward to seeing New York City FC parade its first MLS trophy,’ said the beaming mayor.

Shake on it: Joe Hart congratulates Claudio Reyna on his role as director of football for New York City FC

City announced their former midfielder Claudio Reyna will be New York FC’s director of football and will take responsibility for finding and hiring the club’s first coach. The mother club, meanwhile, is moving closer to appointing Manuel Pellegrini as its own new manager.