San Diego FC’s Baja Cup exhibition series with Club Tijuana is the first of its kind between teams from Major League Soccer and Liga MX. Tuesday night, the teams will meet for the first of five annual friendlies designed to celebrate soccer culture in the region.
And perhaps it’s best to stop there.
Because San Diego FC is in the midst of a playoff chase, and the Xolos will be 48 hours removed from a 1-1 tie with Atlético San Luis in San Luis Potosí.
Neither club is likely to play its stars in the 7 p.m. friendly at Snapdragon Stadium — not with more important matches on the horizon.
SDFC (17-8-5) will travel to Atlanta United on Saturday afternoon with hopes of extending its lead in the MLS Western Conference standings and pushing for the Supporters’ Shield, given to the MLS team with the best regular-season record. Tijuana will return to the pitch on Friday for a home match against Club León.
San Diego FC coach Mikey Varas talked Monday about staying in the moment, but admitted there’s “a little bit of a double mission” this week. Varas has divided his roster into two groups: One will face Tijuana, while the other will practice on Tuesday with Atlanta in mind. The two units will reunite on Thursday before traveling east.
Tuesday’s friendly will be about “making our squad bigger and giving some guys some playing time,” Varas said.
San Diego FC has just four regular-season matches remaining before the start of the MLS playoffs. The expansion team long ago clinched a playoff spot, but can improve its chances of a deep run by holding onto the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference. The West’s top seed will host the winner of a wild-card match between the conference’s eighth-place and ninth-place teams.
Tijuana (3-1-4) is in sixth place in the Liga MX standings. The club’s best player is 16-year-old Gilberto Mora, an attacking midfielder who played against the MLS All-Stars earlier this summer. Mora played all 90 minutes against San Luis, reducing the chances of him seeing the field on Tuesday.
San Diego FC vs. Club Tijuana (exhibition)
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Snapdragon Stadium
Radio: 760 AM, 1700 AM (Spanish)