As many as 4,000 fans are expected to watch the UC Riverside men’s soccer team take on the Chivas de Guadalajara Legends team in a celebrity exhibition match at Ramona High School on Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m.
The Legends squad is made up of former starters for the Chivas Guadalajara team, and includes Gustavo Sedano, Guadalupe Castañeda, Jose Luis Montes de Oca, Johny Garcia, Felipe Robles, Paulo Cesar “Tilon” Chavez and Hector “El Pirata” Castro. Known by their faithful fans as C.D. Guadalajara, the team is one of the most popular squads in the Mexican league, and is the only football club in the country to field a team made-up exclusively of Mexican players.
“Chivas de Guadalajara has a strong following in Southern California, and we expect a tremendous turnout,” said UC Riverside Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Brian Wickstrom, adding that the site of the game was moved to Ramona H.S. because of the larger capacity of their soccer/football stadium. “We wanted to be sure that everyone who wants to come see this match will have the opportunity to do so.”
The exhibition match is part of the Highlanders’ “non-traditional season” and is used to help the squad prepare for their regular season campaign. On February 20, the Highlanders defeated UCLA, 1-0, in an exhibition in front of 1,000 fans at the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium, with junior Ivan Garcia putting home the game-winning goal.
“Much like our match against nationally-ranked UCLA several weeks ago, this provides another excellent opportunity to reach out to the Inland Empire soccer community while showcasing our Division I program, this time against top international professionals,” said UC Riverside Head Coach Junior Gonzalez.
Although the match doesn’t count in the standings, the Highlanders are taking it very seriously.
“While it will be a fun evening, we are playing to win,” Gonzalez said. “This is an opportunity for our guys to go up against some players who were front-line starters in the Mexican League. We want to win this match and take this momentum into the 2014 season.”
The Highlanders are coming off of their first ever 10-win season as a Division I program, and in mid-season, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) ranked them as the 19th best team in the nation.
Tickets for the match are $15 per person, and $10 each for group purchases of 15 or more. Children three years and younger are admitted free. Purchase tickets online or by calling (951) 827-4653.