ATLANTA -- Mexico’s national soccer team will play the Venezuelan national team in the first international soccer game at the Georgia Dome on June 24 at 7:30 p.m. local, event promoter Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the Atlanta Falcons and the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) announced. The exhibition match will be played on natural grass, the first time a sporting event will be played on grass at the Georgia Dome in the stadium’s 17-year history.
The match represents the third game of the Mexican squad’s 2009 U.S. tour, and the first in the states under the new leadership of Javier Aguirre, former Atlético de Madrid manager who led Mexico to the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Following the game in Atlanta, Mexico will travel to San Diego to take on Guatemala days later at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday, June 28. Both the Atlanta and San Diego games will provide a preview of “el Tri” prior to the team competing in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, a month-long tournament in 13 U.S. cities that will crown the regional champion.
“We are excited that soccer fans in the metro Atlanta area will have the opportunity to watch two extremely talented national teams,” said Atlanta Falcons Vice President of Marketing Jim Smith. “Atlanta’s diverse population creates a hotbed of support for the game of soccer and we’re pleased the Georgia Dome can serve as the host for the contest.”
Tickets can be purchased at www.Ticketmaster.com and by calling 1-800-745-3000.
Venezuela and Mexico will meet for the ninth time with Mexico victorious in the previous eight matches. The team is led by RCD Mallorca midfielder Juan Arango, Atlante forward Giancarlo Maldonado and New York Red Bulls midfielder Jorge Rojas.
The game will mark the U.S. debut of Mexican national team head coach Javier “el Vasco” Aguirre since being named national team head coach on April 3, replacing Sven-Göran Eriksson. This is Aguirre’s second stint as the manager of Mexico, as he coached the Mexican team to the round of 16 in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. After the 2002 World Cup, Aguirre went to Spain, where he managed Osasuna (2002-2006) and Atlético de Madrid (2006-2009) in the Spanish La Liga. During his tenure with Atlético Madrid, he led the club to the UEFA Champions League for the first time in more than 10 years.
One of the most consistent national soccer teams in the world, Mexico has qualified for four consecutive FIFA World Cups, reaching the second round on all four occasions. The popularity of the Mexican national team continues to grow, as exhibition matches average approximately 50,000 fans per game in the United States.
Media Requests
Media planning to cover the upcoming international soccer match between Mexico and Venezuela can apply for media credentials using the online accreditation form at http://sum.iwebreg.com/apply. The deadline for application is Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 5 p.m. ET. No credential applications will be accepted after the deadline. Please note that due to the strong media interest expected for the games, credentials per organization will be limited.
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