FRISCO – FC Dallas takes on five-time UEFA Europa League champions Sevilla FC in the 2019 FC Dallas Summer Classic presented by Toyota on Wednesday, July 17 at 7 PM at Toyota Stadium.
It’s FC Dallas’ second friendly of the summer after facing Oscar Pareja’s Xolos of Liga MX earlier this month. Wednesday’s game promises to be one of FCD’s most high-profile matchups in its 24-year history.
“It’s a pleasure and honor to play them,” said head coach Luchi Gonzalez. “I know they’re in preseason so we’re in different moments in our season. Last week we had a good exercise playing against Xolos and that was a moment that helped us get better—and tomorrow is another one.”
FC Dallas faces Sevilla just three days before the Spanish side travels to Boston to take on the European champions Liverpool FC at Fenway Park before returning to Dallas to continue preseason.
“It’ll be cool,” said midfielder Paxton Pomykal on the prospect of facing Sevilla. “Obviously, they’re an international opponent, very solid in La Liga. Great guys, international guys that have played a lot of minutes in World Cups and things like that…We just want to kind of go out there and — I wouldn’t say a friendly game because obviously we take is seriously and want to win — but go out there and have an exhibition match with them.”
Sevilla’s squad—full of international talent and experience including FIFA World Cup veterans Jesús Navas, Éver Banega and Simon Kjaer—will be on show at Toyota Stadium Wednesday night.
“I'm very happy to be able to enjoy this game, for it to be a spectacle for the fans here and to prepare ourselves well for what's to come,” said captain Jesús Navas, who won the World Cup with Spain in 2010. “When we got here [Toyota Stadium], we didn't expect such impressive facilities. All the fields that are here, the way they can be enjoyed by all of the kids and all of the (FC Dallas) teams of every level. Truthfully, it's something big, let it keep growing that way."
FC Dallas’ USL League One affiliate, North Texas SC, will also take part in the exhibition and will play a 45-minute period against Sevilla’s reserves after the completion of the first-team matchup. Both games should provide an opportunity for the coaches to experiment with different lineups and personnel.
“We plan on trying some lineups and get everyone some decent playing time,” Gonzalez said. “It’s La Liga, so it’s an honor to play player like Nolito, Navas, Banega—it’s a very good team that competes well in their league and has history.”
Although FC Dallas will be up against a myriad of famous names with vast amounts of international experience, the players will not be overawed by the occasion.
“It’s really cool to see some of the names that we could potentially go up against,” midfielder Jacori Hayes said. “It’s guys we watch week in and week out on TV, so it’s going to be cool but you got to shake it off and face them like it’s any other opponent and do your best against them and just show what you have.”
