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FC Barcelona to face Chivas and Club America in 2006 U.S. Tour

June 7, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK (Wednesday, June 7, 2006) - Legendary Mexican sides CD Guadalajara and Club America will face FC Barcelona, the reigning Spanish League and European champion, as part of FC Barcelona's 2006 U.S. Tour from August 6-12, 2006.

FC Barcelona will face CD Guadalajara, commonly known as "Chivas", on August 6 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as part of a doubleheader that also includes an MLS matchup between Chivas USA and the New England Revolution kicking off at 4 p.m. PT. FC Barcelona will then travel to Houston where they will take on Club America on Wednesday, August 9 at Reliant Stadium as part of a doubleheader with the Houston Dynamo and defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy beginning at 7 p.m. CT. FC Barcelona will close out the Tour with a match against the New York Red Bulls on August 12th at Giants Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Considered by many to be the greatest club on the planet today, FC Barcelona has won 18 Spanish league titles, 24 Copa del Rey titles and has twice been crowned champions of Europe. The Spanish giants most recently defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the 2005-'06 UEFA Champions League final to capture their second European crown. The squad features many of the world's greatest players, including FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho (Brazil), 18-year-old sensation Lionel Messi (Argentina), and African Player of the Year Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon). At least 11 players from FC Barcelona will represent their respective national teams in this summer's FIFA World Cup.

With its legions of fans throughout Mexico and the United States, CD Guadalajara is considered Mexico's most popular club. The storied franchise has a total of 10 Mexican league titles to its credit and has advanced to the Quarterfinals of the current edition of South America's Copa Libertadores. Known for its policy of fielding only Mexican players, Chivas has an impressive six players on Mexico's 2006 World Cup roster including Oswaldo Sanchez, Ramon Morales, Gonzalo Pineda, Omar Bravo, Carlos Salcido and Francisco "Maza" Rodriguez. The game against FC Barcelona will celebrate Chivas' 100-year anniversary.

Speaking of the upcoming match against the Spanish champions, CD Guadalajara midfielder and Under-17 World Cup winner with Mexico, Omar Esparza said, "I am happy to be able to participate in a match against one of Spain's greatest teams. It motivates me to have the chance to play against some of the world's greatest players and I hope it is a great game. I hope that we can show the quality of our own team and that we can beat them. I look forward to seeing the many fans that will come out to support us."

Club America is one of Mexico and CONCACAF's most storied franchises, with a wealth of national and international titles to their credit. America is the defending CONCACAF Champions Cup winner and has won a total of 10 Mexican League titles. Club America, as CONCACAF region champions, will join FC Barcelona, European club champions, in December's FIFA Club World Championship. The Mexico City club, coached by Luis Fernando Tena, boasts a talented roster that features some of Mexico's most talented players including Cuauhtémoc Blanco and current Mexican National Team members Guillermo Ochoa, Pavel Pardo and José Antonio Castro.

Tickets for the August 6 doubleheader in Los Angeles are available through Chivas USA at 1-877-CHIVAS-1. Individual tickets for the first match of FC Barcelona's 2006 U.S. Tour go on sale to the general public on Thursday, July 6, 2006, at 12:00 p.m. PT. For more information, fans should contact Chivas USA by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1, or by visiting www.cdchivasusa.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

A variety of exclusive packages are now available through the Houston Dynamo for the match on August 9. Individual tickets in Houston go on sale to the general public Tuesday, June 27, 2006, at 9:00 AM local time. For information on tickets fans can contact the Houston Dynamo at (713) 276-7500 or visit www.houstondynamo.com and www.ticketmaster.com.

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