Orange County SC welcomes a local favorite Liga MX side for an international friendly that will provide a chance for the team to see how they stack up against a division 1 side while providing a chance to showcase some local talent.

Irvine, Calif. 6/27/19 - Orange County SC, who are in the middle of a tough and challenging USL Championship campaign, will take a break from competitive action as they welcome Club Tijuana Xolos from Mexico for an international friendly at Championship Soccer Stadium tonight. The match will be an opportunity for the team to build teamwork and showcase some of their local talent while they play a quality opponent from Mexico’s first division.

Coming off a tough and disappointing loss to Portland Timbers 2 and with an important derby match against Los Dos on the horizon this Saturday, fans can expect a heavily rotated side for Orange County. The match should mark the debut of recent signing Michael Orazco, a local veteran of the game who has played in Mexico for most of his career, including 41 with Tijuana, while also making 29 appearances for the senior US Men’s National Team. The defender should provide a boost for a home team that has struggled to hold off opposing teams long enough in multiple matches this season.

Another possible debut for the team in this match could be another local product, Edson Alvarado, who the club just announced as a new signing to the senior squad today. Alvarado has been playing on Orange County’s U-23 squad this season, having scored 3 goals in 7 appearances. Like Orazco, Alvarado has ties with Club Tijuana, having made one cup appearance in the 2018-19 season.

Since this is a mid-season friendly for OC, it’s tough to tell who will be in the starting 11, but with an important match against Los Dos this Saturday, expect players such as goal keepers Aaron Cervantes or Carlos Lopez, who before joining Orange County this season was on the Tijuana roster for the last couple of years (although he didn’t make an official appearance), and others who have had limited minutes this season to see plenty of time on the pitch.

For Club Tijuana, this match will mark the beginning of their 2019-20 Liga MX season preparations. Their focus will be less on winning the match, and more on preparing for their season opener on July 19 when they travel to Pueblo, Mexico to face Club Puebla. Fans for the visiting team can expect spot minutes with plenty of substitutions as the players are just set to begin getting into playing shape after about a month since their last meaningful soccer.

The action kicks off at 7pm at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine. Click here to purchase tickets.