*updated (8:37pm March 3, 2014)
More than 60,000 tickets have already been sold for the game, in what will be the largest crowd ever to attend a professional soccer match in Atlanta. The previous record was 54,229 for the 2013 Gold Cup double header at the Georgia Dome. Tickets for the game are still available through www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at all Atlanta-area Ticketmaster locations. The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol invites fans to use their Visa cards.
Here are some events for the public taking place tomorrow (Tuesday, March 4):
| 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | PUBLIC EVENT: Unilever Store Event – Appearance by Mexican legend Ramón Ramírez. Tickets to the match and soccer merchandise giveaway. | Family Dollar Tree
3349 Buford Hwy Atlanta, GA 30340 |
| 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | PUBLIC EVENT: AT&T Retail Event – Appearance by Mexican legend Jorge Campos. Tickets to the match and soccer merchandise giveaway. | AT&T Retail Event 2131 Pleasant Hill Road Duluth, GA |
Eight European players highlight the Mexican squad
Miguel Herrera, head coach of the Mexican National Team, announced the 24-man roster for Mexico’s pre-World Cup U.S. Tour match against Nigeria on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 (8:30 p.m. ET) at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Mexican team roster is highlighted by the call-up of the eight Mexican players currently playing overseas in Europe. Herrera once again has called up several players from Club America (six) and Leon (four), which includes captain Rafael Marquez. The match against Nigeria, which falls on a FIFA date will be the only game that the fans will be able to watch the players who are active in Europe. This also marks the return of midfielder Andres Guardado, who returns to the squad after being transferred to Bayer Leverkusen of the Bundesliga of Germany. The roster also includes Giovanni Dos Santos and Javier Aquino from Spain’s Villarreal CF. Alan Pulido (UANL Tigres), hero of the first match of the team in 2014 against the Republic of Korea has also been called up by Herrera.
Mexico and Nigeria have previously played each other four games with a 1-0-3 record in favor of Mexico. The two teams last met in May of 2013 in an international match that was part of Mexico’s U.S. tour, with the match ending in a 2-2 draw. Nigeria will travel to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil as part of Group F along with Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran. This will mark the Super Eagles fourth World Cup participation.
Tickets for the game are available through www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at all Atlanta-area Ticketmaster locations. The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol invites fans to use their Visa cards.
MEXICO ROSTER:
Goalkeepers: Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul/MEX), Moisés Muñoz (América/MEX), Guillermo Ochoa (AC Ajaccio/FRA)
Defenders: Diego Reyes (FC Porto/POR), Rafael Márquez (León/MEX), Francisco Rodríguez (América/MEX), Enrique Pérez (Atlas/MEX), Juan Carlos Valenzuela (América /MEX), Miguel Layún (América/MEX), Paul Aguilar (América/MEX), Miguel Ponce (Toluca/MEX), Héctor Moreno (RCD Espanyol/SPA)
Midfielders: José Juan Vázquez (León/MEX), Luis Montes (León/MEX), Juan Carlos Medina (América/MEX), Isaac Brizuela (Toluca/MEX), Carlos Peña (León/MEX), Giovanni Dos Santos (Villarreal CF/SPA), Javier Aquino (Villarreal CF/SPA), Andrés Guardado (Bayer 04 Leverkusen/GER), Héctor Herrera (FC Porto/POR)
Forwards: Oribe Peralta (Santos/MEX), Javier Hernández (Manchester United/ENG), Alan Pulido (Tigres UANL/MEX)
Head Coach: Miguel Herrera