The “Red Sharks” are coming. Columbus Crew SC today announced that it will host Club Deportivo Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz on May 11. Veracruz is the third Mexican side to visit MAPFRE Stadium for an international friendly with the Black & Gold. Here are three things you should know about the Liga MX side.
The Golden Era
Los Tiburones Rojos will celebrate their 73rd birthday on Sunday. The club was founded on April 9, 1943 and found success early on. Veracruz won its first Mexican Primera Division title in 1946 and added another four years later. It also won the Mexican Cup in 1948. This past Tuesday, Veracruz defeated Atletico San Luis 3-1 to advance to the Clausura 2016 Copa MX Final for a chance to claim its first title since the club’s Golden Era.
El Clasico Del Sur
Every team needs a rival. For Veracruz it’s Puebla FC. The derby between the two teams is called El Clasico Del Sur and dates back to their amateur era in the 1930s. Their first professional meeting took place in the Copa Mexico tournament in 1943. Since then Veracruz and Puebla squared off in 68 official matches. Puebla holds the advantage with 30 wins and 15 draws.
Sharks at the Pirate
The Red Sharks play their home matches at the Estadio Luis “Pirata” Fuente. The stadium is named after Luis de la Fuente, nicknamed “The Pirate,” who played for Veracruz from 1943 to 1952. The stadium opened on March 17, 1967 and seats 28,703. Located near the coast, the stadium is also referred to as Coloso de el Fraccionamiento Virginia. Similar to MAPFRE Stadium, the “Colossus” has hosted concerts, most notably Shakira and Elton John.
Crew SC vs. Veracruz will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11. The friendly is classified as Special Match A for Season Ticket Members and included in their membership. Single-match tickets start at $24 and are set to go on-sale on Friday, April 15 at 10:00 a.m. Full Season Ticket Members have the opportunity to purchase additional tickets in advance, beginning on Thursday, April 14 with a special presale.
