San Diego Boca FC announces international soccer friendly vs Irapuato and World Cup Star Cuauhtémoc Blanco. This is their first friendly international match in preparation for the 2011 NPSL season. They battle Club Deportivo de Irapuato of the Mexican Liga de Ascenso at Balboa Stadium on Tuesday, October 19 with a 7:00 pm kickoff. Tickets available at the Boca Soccer Store in Old Town or at sdboca.com as seating is limited.
San Diego Boca FC continues preparing for their upcoming 2011 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) season, and is seeking to build upon their success enjoyed in their inaugural 2010 campaign. San Diego Boca FC earned third place in the Western Division, propelling them into the NPSL playoffs. In the first round, they trounced Real San Jose 4-0 on the road, but fell to the eventual NPSL champion Sacramento Gold in a very highly contested western division final.
Irapuato on the other hand made national headline news during the offseason when they acquired Mexican icon Cuauhtémoc Blanco. Blanco spent the previous season with Veracruz, also of the Liga de Ascenso, while also spending time on international duty to help Mexico qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Blanco’s goal against France in their Group A match marked the first time a Mexican player had scored goals in three different FIFA World Cup tournaments, adding to his incredible legacy. Blanco also had a solid tenure with the Chicago Fire (MLS). Other notable and key players for Irapuato include veteran Goalkeeper Adrian Martinez, veteran Forward Ariel Gonzalez and Defender Gandi Vega.
San Diego Boca FC President Yan Skwara commented, “We are very excited to announce this International friendly against Irapuato who recently signed Mexican National Team star Cuauhtémoc Blanco. This match will be a good test for our club as earlier this year we played against Blanco and his former club Vera Cruz and lost the game so it’s nice for a rematch if you will. We have grown since that last game in February and our player pool is a bit deeper although we have several key players that are finishing out the college soccer season right now. We also have signed several solid players that will see playing time so this is going to be a very good measuring stick to see where we are as Irapuato is a very tough opponent especially with Blanco on the pitch.”
Tickets can be purchased at sdboca.com and at the Boca Soccer Store, located at 1919 San Diego Avenue in Old Town. Be sure to get your seats quickly as this match is sure to be a thrilling encounter between our San Diego Boca FC side and a solid Irapuato team led by a fútbol legend. Ticket prices will be $20 prior to the game and $25 at the gate the day of the game.
The San Diego Boca FC roster is mixed with well-traveled veterans and young, local talents. Boca FC goalkeeper Steve Gonzales who had a solid season in the nets in 2010 will lead the charge and Dan Antoniuk has was added to the Boca FC roster in mid-season also will be available for he match. The 2010 NPSL All-Star representatives from San Diego Boca FC were forward Justin Picou, who led the team with 5 goals, and midfielder Andres Canizales, who was instrumental in orchestrating the Boca FC attack. Also playing his first international with the club will be newly signed Danish midfielder Christian Hansen. Hansen has shown well in his first month with the club both at training and in local SDCSL matches.
