The Borussia Dortmund team landed in Chicago at 21:30 German time on Wednesday evening after spending around nine hours in the air. The transatlantic flight carrying the players and the entire Black & Yellow delegation had departed from Düsseldorf.

There is a seven-hour time difference. Upon arrival at the airport in Chicago, the BVB first team were enthusiastically welcomed by a crowd of some 250 fans, whose autograph and selfie requests were gladly fulfilled by all the players − including USA international and fan favourite Christian Pulisic and Maximilian Philipp, who proudly signed the shirt of a small boy with his name on the back. The young lad was celebrating his sixth birthday that day.

The first evening in the USA ended with a relaxing get-together in a rooftop bar directly on the shores of Lake Michigan. Among the guests were friends and sponsors, with the players making a brief appearance before heading to get some rest following the long journey.

Today, Thursday, there will be two training sessions: the first will be at 10:30 local time (17:30 CET) and the second at 18:00 local time (Friday 01:00 CET). A total of 29 players are on the tour, including seven from the U23s. That means coach Lucien Favre can work intensely with his team and distribute the load. "We'll work hard and use the time well," the Swiss tactician said.

Additionally, the day will be interspersed by various PR appointments. Among them will be a joint presentation by BVB and outfitter Puma, who will unveil the kit the team will wear this season in the cup competitions – the DFB Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the three International Champions Cup matches the squad will play in the course of the next few days. (br)