History will be made on July 13 when Liga MX giants Tigres UANL head to Central Texas to take on Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. The match will be Austin’s first against an international opponent and there’s little doubt there will be fireworks when the two teams take the pitch next month.
The match will be broadcasted live on KBVO and streamed live on AustinFC.com and the Austin FC App. Tickets to the match are included in all Season Ticket Membership Packages.
Below you can learn a little bit more about Tigres and what this match means for the Verde & Black.
CLUB TIGRES HISTORY
Tigres are based in Monterrey and have been playing at the famous Estadio Universitario since 1967. They have won a total of seven Liga MX titles, with only five clubs winning more than them since Liga MX was formed in the 1940s.
Five of those titles have come since 2011, under the direction of Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti. No other team has won more than three titles over that time span. Don’t forget that Liga MX have been playing two seasons in a year since 1996.
The club has also reached four Concacaf Champions League Finals over the past five years, finally winning one when they defeated MLS club LAFC in the final last December in Orlando, Fla. They went on to eventually reach the Club World Cup in February, losing to UEFA Champions League winners Bayern Munich 1-0.
CLUB TIGRES OUTLOOK
It’s a summer of change for Tigres as Ferretti departed the club after 11 years in charge. His replacement is Miguel “El Piojo” Herrera, who was the manager at Club America until his team was bounced from CCL by LAFC last December. Herrera is one of the most well-known Mexican managers and has led his team to two titles, in addition to being the Mexican national team manager for almost two years.
The team is coming off a rough 2020-21, as they were eliminated in the quarterfinal round in both tournaments. The good news for them is that reinforcements are on the way in the form of one of the biggest signings in Liga MX history.
Florian Thauvin joins the Mexican club this summer, coming over from French giants Marseille. The right winger is coming off an eight-goal, eight-assist season in Liga MX and is just three years removed from helping France win the FIFA World Cup.
He’s joined by countrymen Andre-Pierre Gignac, who helped recruit Thauvin to Monterrey after becoming one of the most prolific Liga MX scorers ever. The 35-year-old has been one of the best strikers in Liga MX since his arrival in 2015 and recently won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot for his performances in the 2020 Concacaf Champions League.
AUSTIN FC OUTLOOK
This match offers Austin an opportunity to see what international competition is like as they hope to reach that level in the coming years. If they were to reach the Concacaf Champions League or Leagues Cup, Austin would have to face a top Mexican team like Tigres to win.
Austin can reach the Concacaf Champions League in four different ways. The four American berths go to the winners of MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup and the Supporters’ Shield. The fourth spot goes to the regular-season champion of the conference that didn’t win the Supporters’ Shield.
If Austin fail to earn one of those four spots, they could qualify for the Leagues Cup. This is a newer competition that pits four MLS teams against four Liga MX teams. The four best MLS teams who did not earn a spot in the CCL get a chance to compete in the Leagues Cup.
Austin FC’s first international matchup in club history is one that can’t be missed.
