Saturday evening, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is hosting a friendly match between Mexico’s and Japan’s Men’s National soccer teams. That means international exposure, pumped-up crowds, and opportunity for the Town.

Friday, both Mexico’s and Japan’s teams were at the Coliseum and practicing on the field. Soccer officials said tickets for Saturday’s match were nearly sold out.

At a press conference on Friday, Ivar Sisniega, executive president of Federación Mexicana de Fútbol, noted the warm welcome Mexico’s team has received in Oakland.

“For Mexico, this is like a second home. We have a large group of fans who are going to be supporting us here,” Sisniega said.

Both Sisniega and Masakuni Yamamoto, the National Team Director for Japan, expressed gratitude to Oakland for hosting t

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