Target Field will host its first soccer match when Minnesota United FC welcomes Club León, a powerhouse team in Mexico, for a friendly encounter on June 25.
The pitch will be situated with the end lines stretching from the first-base line to the left-field wall, the Minnesota Twins explained in its announcement Monday. The field dimensions will be 109 yards long by 74 yards wide, just a touch on the small side of international standards.
Club León plays in Liga MX (Mexico’s First Division) and has won seven titles, most recently in 2014.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to compete against one of the top clubs in all of Mexico in one of the premier professional sports facilities in the Upper Midwest and to provide our fans with an experience that will be similar to what we hope to achieve in our new stadium,” Minnesota United President Nick Rogers said in a statement.
A new home stadium is in the works for Minnesota United, with the goal of starting play there in 2018. The team is in the North American Soccer League but is transitioning up to Major League Soccer, the top level in North America.
Twins President Dave St. Peter said the match will allow Target Field, which became the Twins’ home in 2010, to be showcased “as a spectacular venue for additional major soccer opportunities.”
Minnesota United has said it’s exploring Target Field, along with the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium, for home games in 2017.
Tickets go on sale to the general public March 24. Prices were not announced. Minnesota United and Minnesota Twins season-ticket holders will be able to buy tickets early, with an exclusive presale starting March 15. For more information, visit MNUnitedFC.com/tickets or call 763-4SOCCER (763-476-2237).
Former Minnesota United midfielder Miguel Ibarra plays with Club León, which played Minnesota United last year at the National Sports Center in Blaine before a sellout crowd of 9,388 fans. Ibarra was a 2012 draft choice and joined Club León last June.
