Sunderland's Stateside pre-season trip is an opportunity for the Black Cats' new recruits to integrate into the squad, according to Tony Mowbray. The Black Cats jet off to the USA tomorrow to embark on a ten-day visit which will include friendly games in Texas, New Mexico, and North Carolina.
Sunderland have already added four new signings this summer, with midfielder Jobe Bellingham arriving from Birmingham City, striker Hemir Semedo from Portuguese side Benfica, and defenders Nectario Triantis and Jenson Seelt from Australian side Central Coast Mariners and Dutch side PSV Eindhoven respectively. Of those, at least three - Bellingham, Hemir, and Triantis - are expected to travel, while it is unclear as yet whether Seelt will make the trip as he is suffering from an ankle injury which means he would not be able to play, meaning Mowbray must decide whether to take him along purely to better get to know his new teammates.
Mowbray said: "What's good is the young players will be integrated into the group and will be living with the players. In football clubs you normally come into work and go home at, depending when you train in the afternoon or not, 1.30pm or 4.30pm and then you're off home.
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"When you're away on a trip together it's 24 hours a day with each other and hopefully that will help the young players integrate into the group. There is a lot of travelling, the heat will be hard but the camaraderie of the group, understanding, the young players, that we have to be relentless this year."
Sunderland will spend the initial part of their stay in San Antonio, building up to a game against San Antonio FC in the early hours of Sunday morning (UK time), before heading to Albuquerque to face New Mexico United in the early hours of Thursday, July 20, and then heading to Raleigh to face North Carolina FC in the early hours of Saturday, July 22. While the second part of the trip will involve a lot of travelling in a short space of time, the players will at least have several days to train together ahead of the first game, although their schedule will have to take into account the fact that peak temperatures will be just under 40C.
When they return, they will play Spanish La Liga side RCD Mallorca at the Stadium of Light on July 29, before rounding off their pre-season preparations with a trip to Hartlepool United on August 1. Their Championship campaign gets under way at the Stadium of Light in front of the Sky TV cameras on Sunday, August 6, when one of Mowbray's former sides Ipswich Town are the visitors.
Mowbray said: "The league looks so much tougher on paper [compared to last], the games look really tough, but we should look forward to it."
