HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Dynamo announce today that three-time defending champion of the Honduran soccer league, Club Olimpia Deportivo will face current Salvadorian champion Deportivo Aguila in a special international doubleheader.
The event will take place at Robertson Stadium on Wednesday, August 2. The first game will feature the Houston Dynamo in a Fourth Round U.S. Open Cup match. The Dynamo will face the winner of the Seattle Sounders-Carolina Dynamo game, which will be played on July 12th.
"We are thrilled to be able to bring such a big event to Houston. This is the first time that the U.S. Open Cup will be played in our city, so we are making history in that respect. We look forward to giving our fans even more reasons to cheer on the Dynamo, as they will surely do well in the tournament", said Houston Dynamo President and General Manager Oliver Luck.
Club Olimpia Deportivo is one of Honduras' top clubs. Throughout its history, the club has won a total of 20 league titles, including its last three, which it has won consecutively. Olimpia also boasts three Central American championships and two runner-up finishes for the Inter American Cup.
"The game against Aguila will be a good opportunity to test our players, and to also continue our pre-season", said Olimpia coach Raúl Martínez Sambulá. "We look forward to the challenge of getting a good result against (Aguila), and to also that of getting our fourth-straight championship."
Club Deportivo Aguila comes to this game looking to repeat last season's success. The team recently won its 14th league championship, by beating Club Deportivo FAS 4-2. Aguila also features one Central American championship (1976), and seven second-place finishes in the Salvadorian Soccer league.
"We feel honored to have two clubs that are immensely popular in their respective countries come to play in Houston", said Luck. "It has been several years since we have had a Central American club come to play in Houston, and we feel this is the right time to have them back once again."
The first game will kickoff at 5:30 p.m. The U.S. Open Cup is the second-oldest soccer tournament in the world, dating back to 1914. Similar in format to the Copa del Rey (Spain), Carling Cup (England) and Coppa Italia (Italy), it includes all teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, from amateur clubs to MLS teams, potentially bringing to Houston a classic David vs. Goliath type of matchup. The Los Angeles Galaxy is the defending champion of this event.
Tickets to this doubleheader will go on sale Friday, July 7th at 9:00 a.m. Ticket prices are as follows: All individual seats are $20 (pre-sale), all groups tickets are $18 (available to groups of 15 or more), while all tickets are $25 on the day of the game.
Fans will be issued the best seats, on a first-come, first-serve basis. To purchase tickets, fans may call Ticketmaster, the Dynamo Box Office at 713.276.7500 or log onto houstondynamo.com.
Dynamo full-season ticket holders will automatically get tickets to this match as part of their 2006 plan.
