Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers to Host Mexican National Team on February 24
2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Feb. 16, 2008
LONG BEACH -- Long Beach State women's soccer, winner of back-to-back Big West Conference regular season titles, will host the Mexican National Team on Sunday, February 24 at 11 a.m. at George Allen Field. The Mexicans, who play exhibitions in Arizona this weekend and at USC on Feburary 22, are coached by Leonardo Cuellar, one of Mexico's all-time greats and a member of the country's 1978 World Cup squad.
Tickets will go on sale at the Walter Pyramid box office at 10 a.m. with adult tickets going for $7 and children for $5. Groups of 20 or more will be $4 each. Tickets will also be available online at www.longbeachstate.com and by calling (562) 985-4949.
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE STARTING NOW
Last year the 49ers went 13-7 after going 14-5-1 in 2006.
Mexico is ranked No. 22 in the world, its highest ever ranking and is third in North America behind the U.S. and Canada. All three teams are preparing for Olympic qualifying in April. Mexico is the first Spanish-speaking country to qualify for the women's Olympics in soccer, where they advanced to the quarterfinals of the Athens Games in 2004. They won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in 2003 and took gold in 1999.
Mexico features Maribel Dominguez, the first Mexican woman to accept a contract to play for a men's soccer club, a move that was stopped by FIFA, soccer's governing body, in 2005. Mexico also features CS Fullerton product Marlene Sandoval, Evelyn Lopez, Monica Ocampo and Charlyn Corral.
The 49ers have a number players of Hispanic or Mexican decent, including two-time All-Big West Kim Silos, who will not play after having surgery to her ankle, Janet Mendez, who is among the U20 Mexican National pool, All-Big West defender Sara Baca, and Yeraldy Hurtado.
