Thunder to make history July 19

Published on June 25, 2005 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Minnesota Thunder News Release


ST. PAUL, Minn. (Saturday, June 25, 2005)--The Minnesota Thunder will make history on Tuesday, July 19 at 7:35 p.m. when it plays Dorados de Sinaloa, a Mexican First Division team at the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine, Minn. it was announced today by Thunder officials.

This marks the first time in the history of Minnesota that a full Mexican First Division team will play in the state.

"This is the best thing the Thunder has ever done in the Hispanic community," said Alberto Monserrate, President and CEO of Latino Communications Network (LCN), publishers of La Gente newspaper. "Bringing a first division team to the Twin Cities will guarantee a great crowd and LCN is looking forward to being a part of this event."

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, June 28 at 9 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations and also through the Thunder and NSC box offices.

The Thunder will return to the NSC for the first time since the 2003 season. This match will be held during the Schwan's USA Cup at the NSC, one of the largest youth soccer tournaments in the country.

Dorados is based out of Culiacan, Sinola, near Mazatlan, Mexico. This last season it finished in eighth place out of 18 teams, ahead of noted clubs such as Tigres, Chivas, and Atlas and finished just four points behind Club America.

Dorados was in the third division just a few years back, winning the championship and being promoted to the second division. It was instantly among one of the best teams in the league, and was promoted to the first division after only 52 games in the league and after beating rival Leon in a promotion game.

There are several notable players on Dorados including goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo who is one of the top keepers in Mexico and was a member of the U-20 national team. It's leading goal scorers from last year include Christian Patino (formerly with Club America) and Pedro Iarley who both finished with five a piece. Other prominent players include Oscar Rojas (Costa Rica national team), Joel Sanchez (formerly with Chivas), and Jonathan Fabbro (formerly with Caldas in Colombia.)

Dorados will be traveling to Minnesota for a pre-season trip. The second leg of its two-game trip will be in San Diego on July 21 against Universidad Catlitico de Chile before it opens the season on July 30.

There will be four different ticket prices including general admission tickets at $8, $12, $15, and a VIP ticket for $25. Groups of 20 or more can purchase a $12 general admission ticket for only $10.

"We are excited to bring this team to the Twin Cities," said Thunder General Manager Djorn Buchholz. "This is a great chance for our fans to see Mexican soccer at the highest level and it's also a chance to see how our team matches up against one of the best teams in the league."

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