OC Soccer Club to meet Tijuana Xolos first team in international friendly on June 27

Darwin Jones and his OC Soccer Club teammates have a big exhibition match on June 27. (Photo courtesy OC Soccer Club For OC Sports Zone)

Orange County Soccer Club will host Liga MX’s Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, also known as Xolos, in an international friendly on Thursday, June 27 at 7 p.m. at the Championship Stadium at the Orange Couny Great Park.

“We are extremely excited to host Tijuana’s Xolos first team on June 27 at Orange County SC’s Championship stadium at the Great Park in Irvine and continue to develop the relationship between our two clubs,” said Oliver Wyss, OCSC general manager.

“OCSC and Xolos share the goal of not only bringing the highest level of soccer to our fans on both sides of the border, but also on providing our most talented players a pathway to the highest levels of professional soccer around the globe. We are looking forward to welcoming all of the Xolos fans into our beautiful stadium and helping their first team prepare for the upcoming Liga MX season.”

Founded in 2007, the Xolos were promoted to Liga MX in 2011 and won their first Liga MX title in the 2012 Apertura after defeating Toluca 4-1 on aggregate.

The club participated in the 2013 Copa Libertadores, making it to the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual winner of the tournament, Brazilian first-division team Atlético Mineiro.

Tijuana most recently faced an MLS side, the New York Red Bulls, in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Concacaf Champions League. In 2019 Tijuana advanced to the Liguilla where they lost to León 3-1 in the first leg.

“We are excited to be able to play in Orange County for the many soccer fans in that region,” said Club Tijuana Sporting Director Roberto Cornejo. “This is a great way to unite soccer from both sides of the border and help create a great international relationship for years to come.”

Tickets for the June 27 game are on sale at orangecountysoccer.com/tickets and on Ticketmaster and will start at $10 for general admission and $17 for reserved seating. There will also be a limited number of field preferred access seating for $50.

Club Tijuana’s star-studded roster features, Juan Martin Lucero, Fabian Castillo and Ignacio Rivero. Their head coach is former MLS star and coach Oscar Pareja.