San Jose, Calif. » For the third time in four seasons, Real Salt Lake will play host to a team from Mexico in an international exhibition this summer.
The team will play Club America -- arguably the most accomplished team in its country -- in an international exhibition at 6 p.m. on July 11 at Rio Tinto Stadium, a team spokesman confirmed, filling its weekend off from Major League Soccer play.
Tickets for the game will be included in the package for season-ticket holders, but otherwise start at $18 and will be on sale soon.
RSL is 5-4-2 in its international exhibitions, including a 1-2-0 mark against Mexican teams -- Monarcas Morelia, Santos Laguna and UANL Tigres. Without its game against Club America, RSL would have gone without playing from July 3 to July 18.
Shifting lineup
While the shuffle up top was the most prominent news -- strikers Fabian Espindola and Luis Miguel Escalada made their first starts -- defender Chris Wingert returned to the starting lineup for RSL against San Jose, after coach Jason Kreis sat him down last weekend to give him a break.
Wingert might not have done so, however, had defender Tony Beltran not bruised his quadriceps in training this week, which kept Beltran from starting again. Midfielder Clint Mathis did not start for the first time all season, too, allowing Ned Grabavoy to remain in the lineup despite RSL's return to its favored 4-4-2 formation.
Otherwise occupied
Midfielders Andy Williams and Jean Alexandre were not available to play for RSL, Williams because he's attending his ill wife in Seattle and Alexandre because he's on a weekend loan to the USL's Austin Aztex.
Alexandre played about 20 minutes for his native Haitian national team in a 2-2 draw with Jamaica in a friendly last weekend, and team officials sent him to the Aztex to get still more playing time.
