*U.S. Soccer has scheduled an Aug. 15 exhibition game against Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the first friendly between the two nations south of the border since 1984.
“Mexico has proven to be one of the top teams in the world in the moment, so for us this is a huge opportunity,” said U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann. “The U.S. and Mexico have a very special rivalry, and the chance to be challenged in an environment like Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will be another important experience for the development of our players.”
The game is a designated FIFA fixture date, which means the U.S. should have its top players available in an effort to beat Mexico for the first time ever on its own soil. The U.S. record in Mexico: 0-23-1.
*In other local, yet internationally-oriented soccer news, Zachary DeVille, a sophomore forward from San Diego who made nine appearances for Cal State Northridge last season, is spending his summer with Team Guam in a series of international matches in the Philippines in preparation for the East Asian Football Championships in July.
*The new Pac-12 network means 58 live televised soccer games from the conference are on tap later this year, brinding unprecedented visibility to college soccer. The USC women’s program, for instance, will have nine games on TV, five at home and four on the road.
“It’s really exciting to see that our sport and our conference will be on TV for all to see this season,” USC head coach Ali Khosroshahin. “It’s an opportunity for our athletes to get exposure, so we can really show the strength of our programs and the Pac-12 as a whole.”
The UCLA men’s program will have a dozen games televised on the new channel.
