D.C. United has announced a friendly against Liga MX side Club Puebla at Audi Field on Wednesday, September 4. Puebla, who finished 10th in the Clausura season that ended back in May, are managed by former Chivas USA boss Jose Luis ‘El Chelis’ Sanchez Sola. Among their recognizable players are former USMNT midfielder Jose Francisco Torres, Venezuela midfielder Yohandry Orozco, and former Mexico international Jesus Zavala.
“Puebla have a strong following in Mexico and we look forward to giving Black-and-Red fans a rare chance of competing with teams from Liga MX. This friendly will be another opportunity for D.C. United to give our multicultural fans in the District an opportunity to watch an international fixture at Audi Field,” said D.C. United CEO Jason Levien in a team release.
Puebla was founded 75 years ago and have spent the vast majority of their history in Mexico’s top division. They’ve won 2 league championships as well as 5 Copa MX titles (most recently in 2015). Perhaps most famously in American soccer circles, they’re the club Herculez Gomez was playing for when he made the jump from journeyman attacker to USMNT forward.
The friendly will be a third this season, as Puebla joins Real Betis and Olympique Marseille as the Black-and-Red’s international guests at Buzzard Point. Last year saw CD Olimpia play the first international friendly at Audi Field, which later this month will host four French clubs in the EA Ligue 1 Games tournament.