Rolling through the years, there have been scores of international friendlies played round these parts, with a wide variety of match-ups and benefits.
They have benefitted widows and expectant mothers, state associations and school team formation. Over the generations we’ve hosted Cold War foes and Sister Cities, Olympic champions and Champions League victors.
This, the 10th friendly of the Sounders FC era, is billed as preparation for the upcoming return of Seattle to Champions League play. More than four months before the fact and with group stage opponents yet to be determined.
Still, Tijuana is formidable. Los Xolos sit atop Liga MX and they also will bring their youth team to play the Sounders Academy in a prelim match. And if nothing else, it’s another prime opportunity for Sounders FC to again appeal to the local Hispanic community.
It’s the second time Sounders FC has booked a CCL surrogate; in 2012 the Rave faced Mexico’s Juguares de Chiapas. That occurred a week before hosting Santos Laguna in a quarterfinal. It also served as the Community Shield match, with more the $36,000 in proceeds going to Seattle’s charitable partners.
It’s ironic that scheduling a friendly, a match that has no bearing on either team’s fortunes, is fraught with potential potholes. But such is the case.
If listed in the personal want ads it might read: “World powers welcome, but don’t embarrass us. Star players preferred, so let’s put that in writing. Preferably a crowd puller, but don’t be greedy with your appearance fee. Oh, and yes, it’s on turf.”
The latter has been the bane of many a touring team, going back nearly 50 years.
The 1969 Memorial Stadium affair pitting West Ham United and Scotland’s Kilmarnock was billed as the first professional soccer game played on carpet. Its sponsor: Monsanto.
The guests kindly refrained from critical remarks. Perhaps it was the wow factor of being first to do something. More likely, they knew who was issuing their expense check.
Not so a year later, when Newcastle came calling and went away promising turf had no future in English football (Note: QPR installed it at Loftus Road 10 years later).
While Barcelona in 2009 and Manchester United in 2011 provided many a memory, those clubs blew town with lots of cash (not to mention the expense of installing temporary grass) and gave the Rave some lessons they will never forget. The 7-nil pounding administered by United still causes some to wince.
Perhaps the Spurs stopover last summer was most mutually beneficial: A six-goal draw seen by 55,000 and an international audience–all for a reasonable tab.
Who knows, perhaps Tijuana will tick most of the boxes.
It’s tough to beat the package of playing a prestigious EPL club on a sunny summer afternoon here on a rainy Tuesday night in March. Yet, if the Sounders and their academy are able to more than hold their own; if the crowd size approaches (or surpasses) that of an MLS match; if they play (and beat) a Mexican side in CCL; if Los Xolos exhibit the flare, improvisation and sudden attacking bursts associated with the best Mexican football; and if Seattle can win some new fans in their own backyard; if most or all those occur, Sounders FC may have found the winning formula for friendlies going forward.