SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego Loyal SC will face Germany's Borussia Dortmund at Snapdragon Stadium Thursday evening in the team's first-ever competition against a European club.
"We're thrilled to welcome Borussia Dortmund to San Diego," SD Loyal Club President Ricardo Campos said. "Our players, coaches, and fans alike can't wait to compete against one of the elite European clubs."
U.S. Men's National Team player Giovanni Reyna, attacking midfielder and captain Marco Reus and Bundesliga rookie of the year Karim Adeyemi are all slated to play in the friendly, set to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
The Loyal are currently fifth in the USL Championship's Western Conference. Dortmund finished runners-up of the Bundesliga last season.
Event promoters TEG Sport worked with Sports San Diego and Snapdragon Stadium to make the match happen.
"Football's growth in the city over the last few years has been strong, and we're delighted to help fuel that excitement and momentum with another European heavyweight in Borussia Dortmund coming to town and, in doing so becoming the first European team to play against San Diego Loyal SC," said Bart Campbell, TEG global content director.
SD Loyal was founded in 2019 by Andrew Vassiliadis and Donovan. The club has made consecutive USL Championship playoff appearances.
Borussia Dortmund will also face Manchester United in Las Vegas on July 30 and Chelsea in Chicago on Aug. 2 as part of its American tour.
The game is the latest big-ticket soccer match for Snapdragon Stadium, which played host to famed English soccer team Manchester United and Wrexham AFC, the fourth-tier Welsh club owned by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, in an exhibition match on Tuesday.
The friendly turned unfriendly when one of the Wrexham players was injured in the first half and is recovering from a punctured lung. Wrexham won the match 3-1 against a Manchester United team made up of young prospects and one seasoned defender in the preseason game before 34,328 in attendance.
Snapdragon also hosted a Gold Cup semifinal between the United States and Panama earlier this month and will host the National Women's Soccer League Championship in November.
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