The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF), together with Soccer United Marketing (SUM), today announced the venues, dates and qualification system for the 2010 edition of InterLiga.
Now in its seventh edition, InterLiga determines two berths for Mexican clubs to the prestigious Copa Libertadores. The tournament will be held between Jan. 2 and Jan. 12, 2010, starting in two Texas venues: Robertson Stadium in Houston (Saturday, Jan. 2 and Wednesday, Jan. 6) and Pizza Hut Park in Frisco (Sunday, Jan. 3 and Tuesday, Jan. 5). The event will then head to The Home Depot Center to Carson, Calif. (Saturday, Jan. 9 and Sunday, Jan. 10, followed by the finals on Tuesday, Jan. 12).
Tickets for InterLiga 2010 go on sale Monday, Nov. 16, 2009 in an exclusive week-long Visa presale offer. Visa cardholders can visit Ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets with their Visa cards. Tickets go on sale for the general public on Monday, Nov. 23 via Ticketmaster.com and other regular ticket outlets in each of the participating cities. Tickets are also available by contacting each of the local Major League Soccer teams in the three markets: FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Chivas USA and LA Galaxy. The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol encourages its fans to use their Visa cards.
InterLiga 2010 will determine two Mexican club berths (Mexico 2 and Mexico 3) for Copa Libertadores. Copa Libertadores begins at the end of January 2010. The eight best teams in the general standings at the end of the current Apertura 2009 season of the Mexican domestic league move on to InterLiga 2010, except for the club that finishes first in the regular season standings, which will qualify directly to Copa Libertadores as "Mexico 1," per FMF regulations. Due to their participation in the 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League, clubs Toluca, Pachuca, Cruz Azul, and UNAM Pumas will not participate in InterLiga 2010 regardless of their place in the Apertura standings. Due to the events that occurred during Copa Libertadores 2009, Chivas and San Luis will qualify directly into the 2010 edition during the Round of 16.
The Mexican clubs qualified for InterLiga 2010 will be known following the end of the Apertura regular season, which comes to a close Sunday, November 15 in its league final. Media is invited to monitor the Apertura standings by visiting: www.InterLiga.com
On board for InterLiga 2010 are the following sponsors: adidas, AT&T, Bud Light, Jose Cuervo, State Farm and Visa.
Once teams are confirmed, groups and a complete schedule will be announced. Information for the InterLiga 2010 venues continues below.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, Jan. 2 - Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX
Sunday, Jan. 3 - Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX
Tuesday, Jan. 5 - Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX
Wednesday, Jan. 6 - Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX
Saturday, Jan. 9 - The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
Sunday, Jan. 10 - The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
Tuesday, Jan. 12 - FINALS: The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
VENUES
Robertson Stadium (Houston, Texas)
Dates: Saturday, January 2 and Wednesday, January 6
3700 Cullen Blvd.
Houston, TX 7720
For tickets: (713) 743-9550
Inauguration: 1942
Total Seating Capacity: 32,000
Robertson Stadium, located on the campus of the University of Houston is home of the Houston Dynamo (MLS) and will be hosting its fourth consecutive year as an InterLiga™. A massive renovation of Robertson Stadium took place in 2004, thanks to a $6 million gift from the John and Julie O'Quinn Foundation to the University of Houston. In addition to the 20 luxury suites added in the summer of 1998, "Phase I" entailed replacement of the track with a ring of tiered seating, bringing the stadium's capacity to 32,000. Robertson has seen prominent international clubs on its field, including River Plate and Boca Juniors of Argentina, as well as Mexican clubs Club America, Cruz Azul, Tigres, Chivas, Pachuca and Monterrey.
Pizza Hut Park (Frisco, Texas)
Dates: Sunday, January 3 and Tuesday, January 5
9200 World Cup Way
Frisco, TX 75034
For tickets: 1-888-FCD-GOAL
Inauguration: 2005
Total Seating Capacity: 20,500
Pizza Hut Park, home to Major League Soccer's FC Dallas, is one of just a handful of soccer stadium facilities in the United States. Since its inauguration in August 2005, the complex in Frisco has hosted the MLS Cup in 2005 and 2006, a sell-out InterLiga matches and Mexico vs. Ghana in March 2006. With 17 championship size soccer fields for the local community leagues, the soccer complex will host its fifth consecutive InterLiga™.
The Home Depot Center (Carson, California)
Dates: Saturday, Jan. 9, Sunday, Jan. 10 and Tuesday, Jan. 12
18400 Avalon Blvd., Suite 200
Carson, CA 90746
For tickets: (310) 630-2200
Inauguration: 2003
Total Seating Capacity: 27,000
The state-of-the-art soccer stadium is home to Major Leagues Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy and Club Deportivo Chivas USA and to the Los Angeles Sol of the Women's Professional Soccer League (WPS). The Home Depot Center has hosted major national and international events, including the 2003, 2004 and 2008 MLS Cup and the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup championship game, as well as the 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 InterLiga finals and several matches featuring the Mexican National Team. The HDC is also the soccer training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation National Teams and offers nine practice fields for training.
