The Seattle Sounders did not play an MLS match last weekend as they were handed an early bye week. This gave the team time to rest and prepare for their next MLS match which is this coming Saturday. The Sounders will travel to Frisco, TX to face off against FC Dallas. However, before this weekend the Sounders have an international friendly to play on Tuesday night.
Yup, you read that correctly. The Sounders are playing an international friendly, on a Tuesday night in March. The Sounders will be playing host to Liga MX side Club Tijuana. The main reason the Sounders made this match was the competitive advantage to be gained from playing a team within the CONCACAF Champions League style of play. A recent new club in Mexico, the Xolos as they have become known, currently sits in second place in Liga MX and has experience in the CCL.
Led by Colombian striker Dayro Moreno's four goals, the club has found the back of the net a league-high 13 times through the first six matches of the current season. That shows the team knows how to score and will more than likely test the Sounders struggling back line. They are also looking to make it back to the playoffs after finishing 11th in Liga MX.
In 2012, Tijuana became the fastest club to win a championship following promotion to Mexico’s top league. Tijuana also made it to the semifinals of the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-3 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.
There are also seven American born players that play for Club Tijuana, five of which are 20 or younger and have played for the U.S. Youth National Teams at some point in their career. United States Men’s National Team midfielder Joe Corona is the most notable American on the squad.
Don't expect to see much more than 45 minutes for the Sounders starters as they have a league match this Saturday. We should get to see some of the younger players on the team and see how well they can do against one of the better Mexican clubs.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm PST.