Club America-Cruz Azul exhibition game scheduled for July at Rose Bowl

At 7 p.m. July 10 to be exact, the day before the World Cup final, organizers announced today.

Arizona’s new immigration law was apparently Southern Californa’s gain; a July 7 game between Club Amrica and Pachuca was cancelled earlier this month after the Mexico City powerhouse pulled out, citing the law; at the time promoters reportedly said they would seek an alternate venue in California.

Tickets are on sale now for the game in Pasadena, starting at $25.

A list of ticket outlets and more information on the game is available here.

Club America hasn’t added to their 10 league titles since 2005; Cruz Azul shared Azteca Stadium with Club America until 1996.

“Simply put, this is one of the biggest rivalries in Mexico and even on the world soccer stage,” said game organizer Rudy Ybarra, president of Santa Barbara Soccer Entertainment, Inc. “As a lead in match to the World Cup final the next day, local soccer fans in the Los Angeles area are in for a real treat.”

Adding yet more fuel to the rivalry fire: Club America won their last game of the season, bumping Cruz Azul from the playoffs.

Still, Club America fired coach Jesus Ramirez after 15 months in charge earlier this month following the club’s 4-2 aggregate defeat to Toluca in the quarterfinals of the Clausura.

Former Mexico coach Manuel Lapuente, 66, was appointed Tuesday to his third spell at the club he steered in 2002 to a league title.

Cruz Azul lost to Pachuca last month in the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Ybarra brought Cruz Azul to play in Santa Barbara in 2006 against the Galaxy at Harder Stadium on the UC Santa Barbara campus; last year his company staged a Club America- Morelia game on the campus.

Club America will also face EPL team Manchester City July 28 in Atlanta.

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About Nick Green

South Bay-based Los Angeles News Group soccer columnist and blogger Nick Green writes at the 100 Percent Soccer blog at www.insidesocal.com/soccer and craft beer at the Beer Goggles blog at www.insidesocal.com/beer. Cheers!