Sporting Kansas City will welcome Club Deportivo Guadalajara to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, October 12th for an international friendly, the club announced on Tuesday.
Current Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members will have access to an exclusive pre-sale beginning at 9:00 a.m. CT today. Ticket prices begin at $20 and tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, August 26th at 10:00 a.m. CT. Parking at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park is free for all Sporting Kansas City home matches.
Club Deportivo Guadalajara will return to Kansas City for an international friendly after posting a 2-1 victory over Club America at Arrowhead Stadium on September 16, 2009 in what was yet another edition of the most followed rivalries in Mexican soccer and where 26,119 fans witnessed this matchup between the two most popular teams in Mexico.
Sporting Kansas City Designated Player Omar Bravo starred for Club Deportivo Guadalajara for more than a decade as one of the most decorated players in the team’s history after debuting at age 20 in 2000. He is the club’s second all-time leading scorer with 108 goals for Club Deportivo Guadalajara.
“I’m delighted that a team with such a proud history and strong support will come play in Kansas City,” Bravo said. “Fans can look forward to this game as a rare opportunity to see some of the top players in Mexico. I hope it is a great game and I hope the fans enjoy seeing us compete against Mexico’s most popular team.”
Founded in 1906, Club Deportivo Guadalajara is the most successful club in Mexican soccer history. The red-and-white team has won 11 league titles, with their most recent success coming in Apertura 2006. In addition to their 11 league titles, CD Guadalajara have also been crowned seven-time Campeón de Campeónes, awarded to the winner of the match between the champion of the domestic league season and the winner of the Copa México. In 2010, Chivas reached the final of the most prestigious club competition in the Western hemisphere, the Copa Libertadores.
In addition to a proud winning tradition, some of Mexico's greatest ever talents have plied their trade with Club Deportivo Guadalajara. Mexican soccer icons such as Salvador Reyes, Ramón Ramírez and Claudio Suárez have all represented the Red-and-White during their careers, while younger talents such as VfB Stuttgart's Francisco 'Maza' Rodríguez and Manchester United's Javier 'Chicharito Hernández have all come through the club in the last decade. Several former players for Club Deportivo Guadalajara have gone on to manage the Mexican National Team, including Javier Aguirre and current manager for 'El Tri', Jose Manuel 'Chepo' de la Torre.
The marquee match will be the fourth international event held at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park since it’s opening on June 9th. The state-of-the-art, $200+ million venue hosted the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup in June and will host the U.S. Women’s National Team on September 17th.
Sporting Kansas City also faced off with the English Premier League’s Newcastle United FC last month.
