In the fifth annual tour, the Mexican National Team, led by the country’s legendary Hugo Sanchez, will again play five games on U.S. soil.  The confirmed dates are April 16, June 4 against Argentina at Qualcomm (San Diego, CA), June 8 against Peru at Soldier Field (Chicago, Ill.), September 24 and November 12, 2008. 

Mexico vs. China – April 16

Mexico and China have met in just two occasions all-time, with two wins in favor of the Tricolor. The first match was in March 1987 played in Leon, Mexico with a 3-2 win by the local team. Mexico then defeated China 3-0 in November 1993 in San Diego, California. The April match will mark Mexico and China’s first visit to the Seattle area.

Tickets for the April 16 match at Qwest Field will start at $20 and will go on sale on Saturday, March 15. Tickets can be purchased by calling 206-628-0888 or visiting www.mlsinseattle.com or www.ticketmaster.com or any Ticketmaster outlet and the Qwest Field box office (Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local).

Mexico vs. Argentina – June 4

In a two-game stint in June, Mexico will face Argentina on Wednesday, June 4 at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium at 8:00 p.m. local time. This match will mark the 26th meeting all-time between the nations (Argentina leads with 10 wins, 11 ties) and the first since July 2007, when Argentina defeated Mexico 3-0 in the Copa America semifinals. Mexico is still seeking revenge for the 1-2 loss in the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals, where Argentina moved on to the semis. It will be Mexico’s 18th match in the San Diego area, the last of which was Feb. 28, 2007, when the Sanchez-led Tri defeated Venezuela 3-1 in front of a sold-out crowd of 63,328.

Tickets for the June 4 match at Qualcomm will go on sale on April 17, via Ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster outlets.

Mexico vs. Peru – June 8

From San Diego, El Tri will travel to Chicago to face the national team of Peru on Sunday, June 8 at Soldier Field at 2:00 p.m. local time. This match will mark the 25th meeting all-time between the nations (Mexico leads 10 wins to 8) and the first since August 2003, when Peru defeated Mexico 3-1 in an exhibition held in E. Rutherford, New Jersey.

Tickets for the June 8 match at Soldier Field will go on sale on April 17, via Ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster outlets.

“Mexico’s 2008 tour continues the strong tradition that began five years ago with the national team playing in front of its strong fan base in the United States,” said Will Wilson, Executive Vice President of SUM. “We are thrilled to be able to offer the fans, our partners and cities across the country the opportunity to host the Mexican national team as they prepare for World Cup qualifying.”

In its four previous editions, the Mexican National Team U.S. Tour has seen nearly a million fans attend its matches, averaging over 40,000 fans at stadiums across the country. This past year saw the tour break all previous records as it recorded an average attendance of roughly 50,000 in markets such as San Diego, Oakland, Denver, Foxboro and Los Angeles as well as record four of five stadium sell outs.  Highlights included sellouts at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium on February 28 as 63,328 witnessed Mexico take on Venezuela and 67,584 fans who watched some of the world’s greatest stars in action when Brazil and Mexico squared off in Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium on September 12, 2007. 

“We are excited to return to the United States and offer our fans the opportunity to be witness as we prepare for the World Cup qualifiers later this year,” said Decio de Maria, General Secretary of the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol. “We look forward to visiting a new city in Seattle and returning to what we feel are our homes in San Diego, Chicago, Los Angeles and Phoenix.”

The Mexican National team’s U.S. tour not only allows its U.S.-based fans to witness their nation’s matches first hand, but allows the team to play top class opponents while strengthening its player pool and preparing for major international tournaments. The 2008 tour will assist in Mexico’s preparation for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying which will begin the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Returning for the Mexican National Team’s 2008 U.S. Tour are the following sponsors: adidas, Allstate, Budweiser, Chase, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Cuervo, Makita, McDonald’s, NAPA, The Home Depot and Visa. The tour sponsors will again make the national team’s matches an all-day event, with its participation in Futbol Fiesta, an interactive zone that spans more than 100,000 square feet at every game and includes live music, games, celebrities and thousands of promotional items.

Opponents, venues and ticket information for the September and November dates will be announced as they become confirmed.

Mexican National Team – 2008 U.S. Tour Schedule

Date                 Opponent         City                     Stadium
April 16             China               Seattle, WA        Qwest Field
June 4              Argentina          San Diego, CA    Qualcomm
June 8              Peru                 Chicago, IL         Soldier Field
September 24   TBD                  TBD                   TBD
November 12    TBD                  TBD                   TBD

Mexican National Team – 2007 U.S. Tour Results

Date                 Opponent         City                                          Stadium                            Score               Attendance
Feb. 28             Venezuela        San Diego, CA                          Qualcomm Stadium             3-1                    63,328
Mar. 28             Ecuador           Oakland, CA                             McAfee Coliseum                4-2                    47,416
Aug. 23             Colombia         Denver, TX                                Dick’s Sporting Goods Park  0-1                    17,737
Sept. 12            Brazil              Boston, MA                              Gillette Stadium                   1-3                    67,584
Oct. 17             Guatemala       Los Angeles, CA                       LA Coliseum                        2-3                    42,349

About Soccer United Marketing

Founded in 2002, Soccer United Marketing (SUM) is the preeminent soccer business company in North America. SUM holds the exclusive rights to the most important soccer properties in the region, including: all commercial rights to Major League Soccer; the United States Soccer Federation; promotional and marketing rights to Mexican National Team games played in the United States; the marketing and promotion of the CONCACAF Gold Cup™, and marketing, promotional and broadcast rights to the prestigious eight-team Mexican club tournament - InterLiga™. SUM also manages promotional and marketing rights in the United States for Mexico's most popular sports team, Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas).

In addition, SUM created SuperLiga, the innovative professional tournament between MLS and Mexico's First Division clubs that debuted in 2007. SUM’s newest addition to its portfolio is the Pan-Pacific Championship 2008, a new international soccer tournament that crowns the top club from the Pan Pacific region. These global properties are represented by SUM's slogan: One Sport. One Company.™ For more information, please visit www.SUMworld.com

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