Sounders FC vs. Club Tijuana
International Friendly
Tuesday, March 24; 7:00 p.m. PT; CenturyLink Field
Radio: KIRO Radio 97.3 FM; ESPN Deportes Radio, 1490 AM (Spanish)
Tuesday night at CenturyLink Field, Sounders FC hosts Club Tijuana in an enticing matchup that features the first-place team in Liga MX and the defending MLS Supporters’ Shield champions.
Here are three things you can expect from Tuesday’s international friendly.
Goals Galore
Club Tijuana, also known as Xolos, has scored a league-high 22 goals through 11 games of the 2015 Clausura. Three different Xolos players have found the back of the net at least five times: Juan Arango, Dayro Moreno and Gabriel Hauche. Their opponent on Tuesday, however, also happens to be arguably the most prolific attacking team in its respective league. Last year, led by MVP runner-up Obafemi Martins, the Rave Green broke a club record by scoring 65 goals during the regular season. This year Seattle netted five goals in its first two matches, which is good for the highest goals-per-game average in MLS in the early going.
Young Talent On Display
Both sides will be missing some of their key players due to National Team call-ups, as Clint Dempsey (who has since returned due to injury) and Marco Pappa are unavailable for Seattle while Greg Garza and Javier Guemez are among those that will be absent for Club Tijuana. Friendlies typically involve frequent substitutions, and with each team being a bit short-handed on Tuesday, some young players could see extended minutes on the pitch. Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid said earlier this week that 2015 SuperDraft picks Cristian Roldan and Oniel Fisher will play against Xolos.
Heated Battle
While Tuesday’s match is just a friendly – and both teams will be without a couple of their stars – it is sure to be an intense, hotly-contested battle. When asked by media about the matchup, Sounders FC players spoke about the pride they would take from defeating a quality Mexican side such as Xolos. The last time Seattle played a friendly with a Liga MX team, it won 3-1 over Chivas de Guadalajara in 2010 at CenturyLink Field.
