Mexican side Pachuca trained at BMO Field on Friday morning ahead of Saturday's Carlsberg Cup match against Toronto FC (kick off 7:30 p.m. ET). Pachuca are currently preparing for SuperLiga action and a new Primera Division season.
Pachuca Head Coach Enrique Meza will field his strongest possible team. "I will start the first 11 that I want to start the first competitive game in the SuperLiga," said Meza speaking through a translator. "All of the 24 players that are travelling with the team are capable of being first team players."
"The number one concern is to make sure players don't get injured, but as a group of professionals, we have an obligation to the fans. It's not a competitive game or a regular season game, but it's a game that has a full stadium and we need to perform for the fans; that is our obligation. I have seen a couple of tapes of Toronto but I would be lying if I said I know exactly how they will play."
Meza is a former coach of the Mexican National Team and is impressed with the facilities at BMO Field. "We have a couple of turf fields at our training facility in Pachuca, but we don't use them that often because we don't have much turf in Mexico. The field here looks in perfect condition."
Pachuca are the oldest professional soccer club in Mexico and play in the town of the same name, located in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo. In the last ten years they have become one of the strongest teams in all of the Americas:
• Three time CONCACAF Champions League winner (2002, 2007 and 2008).
•Won the Clausura season in the Mexican Primera Division in 2007, marking their 5th league title - all of which earned since 1999.
•The only Mexican team to win the Copa Sudamericana, which is the second most prestigious South American cup competition.
•Earned the first ever SuperLiga title last year played between MLS clubs and Mexican sides, beating David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy in the final to earn the trophy and a million dollar cash prize.
•Toronto FC Season Seat Holders are reminded that this game is part of the season seat package. Your ticket for the game is at the back of your ticket booklet and is the silver Voucher 1.
