MLS Real Salt Lake

Rio Tinto Stadium to Host Liga MX Friendly on June 24

Published on April 29, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah - Rio Tinto Stadium will host a pair of Mexican powerhouses on Friday, June 24 in an international soccer exhibition, as Liga MX standouts Xolos (Tijuana) and Santos Laguna square off at the world-class venue in an 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff.

Real Salt Lake and Real Monarchs season ticket members currently have the first opportunity to secure their seats, with preferred prices varying by location (pricing map below) and ranging from $20 to $125. RSL and Monarchs STM's can call 801.727.2702 or claim their seats via the "My RSL Account" option online. The general public sale is slated for Monday, May 9 at 10:00 a.m. MT via the stadium box office, www.RSL.com or by calling 844.Real.Tix.

In addition to the game on Friday, June 24, fans will have the opportunity to interact with both clubs on Thursday, June 23, with a pair of open training sessions at Rio Tinto Stadium with post-practice autographs, a local youth skills camp, as well as an official Meet-and-Greet that evening with iconic Xolos manager Miguel Herrera - known as "El Piojo" - with details TBD.

Santos Laguna is based in Torreon, Mexico, and recently advanced to its third CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal where it lost 1-0 on aggregate to eventual champion Club America.  "Los Guerreros" secured their berth in the CCL tourney after becoming champions in the 2015 Clausura, winning the club's fifth title in its 32-year existence in the Mexican first division. The club will make its Rio Tinto Stadium debut this Summer, but did appear on Utah soil back in July, 2008, defeating RSL 4-1 in a friendly at Rice-Eccles Stadium, mere weeks before the MLS side moved to Sandy.  Former Portland Timbers left back Jorge Villafana now calls Santos home, as does former RSL-AZ Academy product Benji Lopez, who plays for Santos' second division team and occasionally, their 2015 Championship-winning Under 20 team. Former USMNT U23 player Benji Joya also played for Santos, and is on loan with Necaxa in the Ascenso MX.

Santos currently has five Mexican-American players playing with its Fuerzas Basicas, an area where the club excels as one of the top producers of youth talent in Mexico.  Carlos Flores and Luis Tavares are Stockton, Calif., natives who won the 2015 Apertura title with the Under 17 team. Alexis de la Rosa (Houston, Texas), Lopez (San Diego, Calif.), and Jose Felix Elias Rincon (Denver, Colorado), play with the Under 20s, with de la Rosa having won the U20 title in the 2015 Apertura. First team players Jesus Molina and Nestor Araujo are frequent call ups with Mexico in 2016, and Andres Renteria featured in Colombia's playoff series against the USA for a spot in the Rio Olympics. Bryan Rabello (Chile), Djaniny Tavares (Cape Verde), and Agustin Marchesin (Argentina) have also received call-ups in past months.

Xolos will appear at Rio Tinto Stadium for the second time in three seasons, as the Tijuana-based club visited Utah back in August, 2014, drawing with Real Salt Lake, 1-1, in an MLS v Liga MX friendly. Led by "Piojo" - Herrera's nickname from his days as an Atlante and Mexican National Team player - the master motivator and media personality recently served as the TD for Mexico's 2014 FIFA World Cup entry, advancing El Tri to the Round of 16. In 2015, he led El Tri to the Gold Cup title. Last November, Herrera was named manager for Xolos, which hosted RSL for a preseason scrimmage on Feb. 2, defeating the Claret-and-Cobalt, 1-0.

Founded in 2007, Xolos won its first Liga MX title in the Apertura 2012, winning the "Liguilla" (playoffs) to achieve the distinction as the title-winner to have most quickly captured hardware after promotion to the top flight in Mexican history. Xolos currently have six U.S. players on their books, including internationals Greg Garza, Michael Orozco and former LA Galaxy youth Paul Arriola, as well as U.S. U-17 standout Alejandro Guido.

Information on Xolos can be found at http://xolos.com.mx/en (English), while Santos Laguna's online home is at http://www.clubsantos.mx/noticias/tag/english.

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