San Diego FC and the Tijuana Xolos will meet at Snapdragon Stadium for an exhibition match this Tuesday, September 16 (7:00 p.m. PST). The game is being presented as the Baja Cup 2025 between these two teams that make part of the soccer community in the region.

This is part of a five-year partnership between both teams to play an exhibition match each year at the Mission Valley Fortress. The game is being played on Mexican Independence Day, and a very large crowd is expected at Snapdragon Stadium.

Club Tijuana was founded in 2007 and has found local and national success in the Mexican top-flight division. Xolos already have a first division title to their name and have made plenty of fans on both sides of the border.

The Xoloitzcuintles also have some of the most consistent attendance records in Mexican football for over a decade. The team has been struggling over the past few seasons, but there is still plenty of appeal in the region to visit the Estadio Caliente.

Club Tijuana has received even more attention as of late thanks to young star Gilberto Mora. At just 16 years old, Mora is slowly becoming a mainstay for the Mexico national team and is one of the most prominent prospects in North America. Reports have indicated that several European teams have offered him the opportunity to train with them.

Reports also heavily suggest that Mora will play in Europe once he is 18 years old. The 16-year-old midfielder is a very complete playmaker offensively.

Mora possesses immense passing and dribbling abilities, and also has the ability to fire a very precise shot on target. Mora is being marketed as Xolos’ best player, rightfully so, and will be one of the main players to watch in this match.

The Border City Dogs are undefeated in their last five Liga MX games and are going into this match in sixth place on the Liga MX table. The team is led by manager Sebastian Abreu, who is really trying to create a culture at this club with heavy work ethic from his players.

Abreu usually adapts his style of play depending on the opponent, as San Diego FC is expected to control possession in this match. SDFC is coming off its first loss in the last six games in all competitions. San Diego fell 3-1 to Minnesota in very disappointing fashion at Snapdragon Stadium.

Mikey Varas will likely rotate some players around ahead of a weekend clash against Atlanta United away from home.

SDFC is still first in the MLS Western Conference and is just a point behind Philadelphia in the Supporter’s Shield race. There is just four games left for San Diego in the MLS regular season and just one game left at home.

This game will serve as fanfare, but also gives San Diego a chance to give minutes to some squad players. It will be interesting to see how Mikey Varas and Sebastian Abreu approach this match and to see exactly which players get on the pitch.

Francisco Velasco

Francisco, 28, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego FC, San Diego Wave. I have covered Liga MX, MLS, Mexico National Team, USWNT, Copa América and European clubs like Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.