Yes, a very high level soccer match will take place this summer in Boise, Idaho, on July 29, 2015, as Athletic Bilbao faces off against Club Tijuana. Boise has a large Basque population, which was the reason they were able to arrange for La Liga side Athletic Bilbao to come over for the football / soccer game. Let’s hope this isn’t the last pro soccer game they play in Boise and on grass.
And the friendly soccer game will be played at Bronco Stadium, you know, where they have the blue turf. But they’re going to lay sod/grass over the blue turf for the game. This, as you can imagine, seems to have some Bronco fans a little considered about their sacred blue turf – at least I’ve seen a few comments talking about how they’re concerned about putting grass on top of their blue turf. The game should draw a large crowd though, of both Bilbao fans and Mexican soccer fans.
Organizers for the Basque Soccer Friendly announced the two teams that will face off July 29 at Boise’s Albertsons Stadium on Wednesday — Athletic Bilbao of Spain and Club Tijuana of Mexico.
Athletic Bilbao, which plays in Spain’s Basque region and is made up entirely of Basque players, was a top target for organizers of the event, which will takes place during Jaialdi International Festival, a celebration of Boise’s Basque heritage.
“Without them, there is no way we’d do it,” said John Bieter, a co-director of the event and a professor of history in Boise State’s Basque Studies department.
Bilbao is one of three teams in Spain’s top league, La Liga, to never be relegated. The others include international powers Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Bilbao played in the UEFA Champions League this season and is ranked as the No. 23 club in the world, according to the Football Club World Rankings.
Club Tijuana replaced the Basque Soccer Friendly’s previous plan to host a regional MLS team, either Seattle, Portland or Salt Lake City. But offseason labor strife and the scheduling of the MLS All-Star Game on July 29 convinced organizers to look elsewhere.
Tijuana currently sits atop the standings of Liga MX, Mexico’s top league, and is ranked as the No. 94 club in the world. The club fields seven Americans, including 24-year-old Joe Corona, who has scored two goals in 14 appearances with the U.S. national team.
Basque Soccer Friendly Field Time lapse video
Covering the blue turf with natural grass. Looks pretty nice with the grass on the field instead of turf.