Sunderland AFC, Toronto FC U23 soccer teams to faceoff at Mosaic Stadium

Mosaic Stadium will host a soccer-friendly match on August 3 between U23 teams from Sunderland AFC (SAFC) and Toronto FC (TFC).

“The last friendly match we held here was incredible,” Tim Reid, president and CEO of Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) said in a release.

Regina hosted “Soccer Day in Saskatchewan” in 2017 where the New York Cosmos and Valencia CF faced off in a friendly match at Mosaic Stadium that saw more than 15,000 fans take in the game.

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport followed by cricket and basketball.

SAFC is an English professional football club based in the city of Sunderland. SAFC plays in League 1, the third tier of English football, and last week qualified for the Championship, which is the second tier of English football.

The Toronto FC “Reds” compete in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS).

They were the first Canadian-based franchise to join the league in 2007.

“Soccer is a global sport that transcends borders and unites so much of our world. The opportunity to see this happen again in our community may just be what we all need at this time,” Reid said.

“This creates a lot of exposure for the sport. It is amazing the work as a community that we are doing to bring this beautiful sport to Saskatchewan. It’s events like these that make a huge difference,” executive director for FC Regina, TJ Singh said.

Tickets for the event will go on sale on June 3 at 10 a.m. and range from $18 to $65.

The Queen City Ex also kicks off the day of the friendly match and entrance will be free for those who have tickets to the game.

“The great thing about Mosaic [Stadium] is that it was built for everybody. Every sport, every entertainer and every fan,” Reid said.