The LA Galaxy announced today that the club will host Club Atlético Boca Juniors, one of the world’s most recognizable clubs, in an international friendly on Sunday, May 23 at The Home Depot Center. The Argentine giants’ honors comprise of 23 Primera División de Argentina domestic championships and 18 international trophies, a record which is equaled only by A.C. Milan and includes six Copa Libertadores titles.
The game will kick-off at 5 p.m. and Galaxy full Season Ticket Holders will be able to use their Bonus Game B tickets for the match. Additionally, there will be a special pre-sale for all full season ticket holders beginning on Wednesday, April 28 at 10 a.m. Tickets will then go on sale to the general public starting on Friday, April 30 at 10 a.m. with tickets starting at just $20 by calling 1-877-3GALAXY (342-5299) or by visiting www.lagalaxy.com and at all Ticketmaster locations.
“We are very excited to be hosting Argentina’s Boca Juniors, who are one of the most prestigious clubs in the world with an incredible tradition of winning championships,” said LA Galaxy President of Business Operations Tom Payne. “It is a thrilling game for our fans and one that will feature Argentina’s Riquelme and Palermo, and continues our commitment to provide our fans the chance to see the Galaxy face off against some of the best international competition.”
Boca Juniors’ roster always includes some of the best players in Argentina and South America and this season is no exception with the likes of midfielders Juan Román Riquelme and Sebastián Battaglia and forwards Martín Palermo and Nicolás Gaitán of Argentina, midfielder Gary Medel of Chile and defender Claudio Morel of Paraguay leading an attack that is currently third in the Primera División in goals scored.
Riquelme, who made his professional debut with Boca Juniors at the age of 18, has long been considered one of the best footballers of his generation. In 1997, he captained Argentina to the FIFA U-20 World Cup championship, setting off an international career that includes three World Cups, a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and six years in Spain’s La Liga, where during the 2005/06 season he helped Villarreal reached the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Riquelme returned to Boca Juniors in 2008 and promptly captained the squad to that year’s Apertura title.
Known for being a club that plays an attractive style of soccer, Boca Juniors have helped to produce some of the greatest players in the history of Argentine soccer, including Diego Maradona, Carlos Tevez, Riquelme and many more. Their game against the Galaxy – the first ever meeting between the two sides – is the first of their U.S. Tour, details of which will be announced shortly.
The Boca Juniors USA Tour is being organized by the Professional Soccer Network. The Los Angeles-based PSN is a sports management company that specializes in producing soccer matches with National Teams and professional soccer clubs in 20 countries. They also manage talent in the sports agency side of their business, with players in MLS and across the globe.
This weekend, a new chapter in Galaxy history will be written when the club hosts the Philadelphia Union for the first time in club history on Saturday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. at The Home Depot Center. The Union, Major League Soccer’s newest club, features ex-Galaxy players Danny Califf, Stefani Miglioranzi and Alejandro Moreno. Tickets for the game against the Union and all other Galaxy games, including the one against Boca Juniors, can be purchased by visiting www.lagalaxy.com or calling 1-877-3GALAXY (342-5299).
