FC Dallas will face former head coach Oscar Pareja
FRISCO – FC Dallas will host Liga MX’s Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, also known as Xolos, in an international friendly on Sunday, July 7, 2019 at Toyota Stadium at 6:30PM presented by Toyota. The Xolos reached the LIGA MX Clausura quarterfinals in head coach Oscar Pareja’s first season.
“We’re thrilled to be able to bring the Xolos to Texas and I know our fans are just as excited as I am to bring Oscar Pareja back to his home for so many wonderful years,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. “We are looking forward to celebrating his impact on our club and our staff, while showcasing our talent against one of the rising clubs in Liga MX.”
Founded in 2007, the Xolos were promoted to Liga MX in 2011 and won their first Liga MX title in the 2012 Apertura after defeating Toluca 4-1 on aggregate. The club participated in the 2013 Copa Libertadores, making it to the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual winner of the tournament, Brazilian first-division team Atlético Mineiro. Tijuana most recently faced an MLS side, the New York Red Bulls, in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Concacaf Champions League.
Oscar Pareja was named head coach for Tijuana on November 27, 2018 after mutually parting ways with FC Dallas on November 16. He served as FC Dallas’ head coach for five seasons recording a 78-49-43 record and guiding the team to the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the 2016 Supporters’ Shield.
FC Dallas named Luchi Gonzalez to succeed Pareja as head coach on December 16, 2018 after serving for three years as director of the FC Dallas Academy. Gonzalez worked closely with Pareja and helped with the signing of 12 Homegrown players during Pareja’s tenure. (Reggie Cannon, Jordan Cano, Coy Craft, Jesus Ferreira, Aaron Guillen, Paxton Pomykal, Kris Reaves, Bryan Reynolds Chris Richards, Brandon Servania, Thomas Roberts and Alejandro Zendejas). Gonzalez currently has a 5-5-2 record through his first 12 games as FC Dallas head coach, recording his first MLS win on March 9 vs. LA Galaxy.
Individual and group tickets for this match are on sale now and are available at FCDallas.com/Xolos.
This will be the first meeting ever between FC Dallas and Club Tijuana. Dallas has played friendlies against legendary international soccer giants like Inter Milan (2010) and Stoke City (2013). FC Dallas will host La Liga’s Sevilla FC in the 2019 FC Dallas Summer Classic presented by Toyota on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at Toyota Stadium.
