Chelsea FC will begin their United States tour by making their fifth appearance in Seattle to take on the Sounders on July 18.

The match at CenturyLink Field will mark another chapter in the growing history between Chelsea and Seattle which began back in 1967 when the team defeated a group of local amateurs 5-0.

The Blues last appearance against the Sounders was in 2009, when they received goals from Daniel Sturridge and Frank Lampard in a 2-0 win over the Sounders.

Date: Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Time: 9:30 P.M. ET

Live Stream: ESPN3.com

TV Info: ESPN 2

Preview:

In the midst of a whirlwind transfer period, Chelsea will begin its 2012 United States Tour against a familiar Sounders squad.

Chelsea recently announced their roster for the United States tour and many top players like Lampard, Ashley Cole, and Peter Cech will be making the trip.

Fresh off of its first Champions League title, Chelsea will look to start the tour off on the right foot before they face top teams like Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and the MLS All-Star team.

First they will have to get by a Seattle team that is currently third in the MLS Western Conference standings with 31 points and a 8-5-7 record.

Players to watch for Seattle will be forwards Fredy Montero and Eddie Johnson, who leads the Sounders with eight goals and was 2012 MLS All-Star Game.

The friendly will also bring on an unexpected farewell for Seattle, as forward Roger Levesque has decided the match against Chelsea will be his last as he will attempt to further his educations according to Steve Kelley of The Seattle Times.

Levesque had arguably his best season with the Sounders last year that included him scoring two goals against the New York Red Bulls, followed by this fantastic celebration.

Though it will be an emotional match for the Seattle players, expect Chelsea to continue its run of success in Seattle. 

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