DENVER, Colorado - The Colorado Rapids announced today plans for a preseason trip to Spain, which will conclude with an international friendly game against current Spanish league fourth place holders Valencia Club de Fútbol, that will be played on Wednesday, March 21 at the historic Mestalla Stadium in Valencia, Spain.
The club's preseason trip, which was made possible by the efforts of the Rapids' second year partners, EUstudy Tours and its president, Mr. Miguel Salazar, along with the invitation from Valencia Club de Fútbol will be the team's second consecutive visit to Spanish territory in two years.
The Rapids will arrive in Valencia on March 14 after a five-day stay in London where they will be practicing at Arsenal's training complex. During their time in Spain the team will train at the Valencia CF training grounds in the suburb of Paterna and will play two friendly matches before facing the host side.
"We are very excited about the possibility of playing in a gated game against such an important club as Valencia in their historic stadium," said Colorado Rapids Managing Director Jeff Plush. "As we continue with the globalization of our sport and our team, the development of dialogue with clubs around the world becomes of the highest importance. The reality of our sport is that without this type of communication we would be isolating ourselves from the true global nature that is unique to soccer."
Senior management representatives from Valencia will also visit the Rapids' new home, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, as well as other stadiums in the United States in the next couple of weeks to gather ideas for their own new stadium. The "New Mestalla" is set to replace the historic Mestalla in the next couple of years.
"It is a true honor to be able to play against Valencia in a friendly game at the Mestalla," said Rapids Head Coach Fernando Clavijo. "It is an important game that will serve as a final tune-up before kicking off the 2007 season. It will also give us an opportunity to show again the quality of MLS soccer against a world class team."
Led by Head Coach Quique Sanchez Flores, Valencia CF features players such as Spanish national team goalkeeper Cañizares, Argentine star Roberto Ayala, Spanish youth sensation David Silva, as well as two of the top five scorers in current Spanish league tournament, Spanish strikers David Villa and Fernando Morientes.
Valencia is currently in fourth place of the Spanish league tournament and will take on Inter Milan next week in the round of sixteen of the UEFA Champions League.
Colorado Rapids Spain Preseason Schedule
March 14- Team arrives in Valencia
March 21- Rapids vs. Valencia CF at Mestalla
March 22- Team returns to Denver, USA
About EUstudy Tours
EUstudy Tours is a company located in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country, Spain) and Miami (Florida, USA) that offers the expertise gathered through 20 years of experience in the field of sport and students exchange between institutions on both sides of the Atlantic.
