Major League Soccer’s All-Star week is upon us, bringing along with it a non-stop flow of activities in the Bay Area.
Following the Flo Rida and Belanova concert Monday night, the Special Olympics Unified Sports Soccer Match, the soccer tennis tournament final and a live broadcast of the Men in Blazers show on Tuesday night, the soccer games will commence tonight when the Mexican U-20 team comes to Avaya Stadium for the Chipotle Homegrown game. Facing MLS Homegrown players, the game will feature some of the world’s best young talent.
The Mexican U-20 National Team enter the match with a great deal of experience, having previously won 13 U-20 CONCACAF championships, including the last three.
Mexico’s head coach Mario Arteaga announced his roster for the homegrown game last Friday, July 22. The 19-man roster includes rising superstars Luis Marquez and Ulises Jaimes.
Marquez, an up and coming midfielder for Chivas de Guadalajara, played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, while Jaimes recently appeared in the U-23 Toulon Tournament in France.
The complete Mexico U-20 Roster:
Goalkeepers (2):
Abraham Isai Romero Gonzalez (Pachuca), Christian Herrera (Pachuca)
Defenders (6):
Jose Villegas Cruz (Pachuca), Edwin Lara Barrios (Pachuca), Pablo Jaquez Isunza (Pumas), Cesar Ulises Hernandez Perez (Chivas), Bryan Salazar Haro (Chivas), Aldo Yanin Benítez Montes (Toluca)
Midfielders (7):
Miguel Angel Tapias Davila (Mineros), Andres Iniestra Vazquez (Pumas), Jorge Alberto Escamilla Moreno (Pumas), David Israel Avalos Toro (Chivas), Luis Alberto Márquez Quezada (Chivas), Ruben Dominguez Lopez (Chivas), Ian de Jeses Arellano Lira (FC Juarez)
Forwards (4):
Omar Islas Hernandez (Pumas), Daniel Armando Rios Calderon (Chivas), Luis Fernando Cruz Ontiveros (Zacatepec), Ulises Jaimes Huerta (Morelia)
This group of youngsters with some big-game experience create a dangerous recipe for opposing teams. Arteaga will have his players calm, cool and collected on Wednesday night for the 6 p.m. game, as they look to defeat the Homegrown MLS side.
Playing against the U-20 side is the Earthquakes’ very own Homegrown Tommy Thompson, who is set to make his third appearance in the Chipotle Homegrown game
“I’m really excited for the third-annual Chipotle Homegrown game,” Thompson said. “It’s going to be an awesome experience playing at home at Avaya and I’m looking forward to playing with some of the best Homegrown players across the league.
“It’s always a pleasure to be at Avaya Stadium, so to have the chance to play in front of them [Earthquakes fans] while also playing the Homegrown game is going to be a special experience that I’m really looking forward to.”
Thompson, 20, got his start with the Quakes back in 2014 when he signed as the club’s first Homegrown player. On Aug. 20, 2013 in the game against Seattle, Thompson became the second youngest player to start a game for the club, and currently has 16 starts and 40 appearances to his credit. Wednesday night will be a great chance for the Earthquakes contingent to get another taste of what is yet to come from the 20-year-old.
