Fresh off its second USL League 2 Championship, the Ventura County Fusion will take on historic German side Hamburger SV Friday November 18th at Ventura College. The stadium opens at 6pm and the game starts at 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now for $15 via ticketleap.com and also be purchased for $20 in person on the day of the game.
“This friendly will be a great test for our team,” said Fusion USL 2 Head Coach Mike Elias“ We had a terrific run during the summer against really good USL competition and playing against one of the great clubs in the world will be a great test for us as well as a really fun night for our fans.”
The Fusion has a long history of playing top international clubs including River Plate (Argentina), Atlético Morelia (Mexico), AIK, GAIS, and Hammarby (Sweden). The Fusion have gone up against a who’s who of English Premier League sides including Manchester City, Everton, Burnley, Swansea and West Bromwich Albion FC. The Fusion captured a historic win in July 2014, defeating Rangers F.C. from the Scottish Premiership 3-1 in a friendly match at Ventura College.
This match, however, will be the first time the Fusion has gone up against a team from Germany. Hamburger SV is one of the oldest clubs in Germany and is known for traditionally playing in red shorts, leading to the nickname die Rothosen (the Red Pants). It has won league titles in both the amateur and pro eras, including three Bundesliga championships. They’ve also won three domestic cups, as well as the European Cup Winners Cup, in 1977, and the European Cup, predecessor to the current UEFA Champions League, in 1983. This season, playing in Bundesliga 2, Hamburg currently sits in second place with a record of 10-1-4.
In addition to the Fusion, Hamburger SV will play defending USL Champions Orange County FC on November 15 at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine. The club’s dinosaur mascot, “Dino Hermann” will travel with the team and will be on hand in Irvine and in Ventura to interact with fans.
For more information about the Ventura County Fusion, please visit vcfusion.com.
