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SANDY — Real Salt Lake announced Monday it will host a friendly between Santos Laguna and Chivas de Guadalajara of Mexico's Liga MX on June 15 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
The announcement was made at the Utah State Capitol Rotunda and was advertised as a "high-profile event for Hispanic soccer enthusiasts which is certain to bring international attention to Rio Tinto Stadium."
The event is being put on by the Utah Sports Commission, and it marks the second year in a row Rio Tinto Stadium has hosted a Liga MX friendly — last year's July 4 meeting was between Club America and Santos Laguna.
"We are thrilled to partner with Real Salt Lake to bring another marquee soccer event to Rio Tinto Stadium," Jeff Robbins, President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission said. "International events like this showcase globally why Utah is the state of sport and give local fans the opportunity to see the top players in North America compete."
Chivas currently sits in sixth place in Liga MX, and has the unique distinction of being the only team that plays exclusively with athletes from Mexico. Chicharito, who played at Rio Tinto over the weekend with the LA Galaxy, began his career at Chivas from 2006-10. The club has 12 league championships, four Cup titles and a CONCACAF Championship in its history.
Santos Laguna will be making its third appearance at Rio Tinto Stadium following last year's meeting with Club America. The Green and White Warriors have won the league championship six times and also won the Campeon de Campeones, the Mexican championship match between the winners of the two most recent league champions.
"Welcoming Santos Laguna and Chivas — two premier clubs in Liga MX — to Rio Tinto Stadium is such an incredible opportunity for the region," John Kimball, President of Real Salt Lake said. "It's a testament to the fans in Utah that Liga MX would select Utah as a destination for events like this that include clubs of such high esteem in North America. We look forward to their arrival, the arrival of their passionate fans, and the excitement for soccer that it will bring to Salt Lake City."
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Caleb Turner
