Jones, Donovan Headline Tonight’s USA vs. Mexico in Ontario

Historic exhibition match will also feature newest Fury Star Franck Tayou

By Gunnar Berndt

Ontario, CA –  The U.S. National Arena Soccer Team is set to take on rival Mexico tonight at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. The blockbuster exhibition match, which is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT, will feature the highly anticipated reunion of former American FIFA World Cup stars Jermaine Jones and Landon Donovan. The two outdoor legends will be joined on the Stars and Stripes roster by indoor legend and recent Ontario Fury signing Frank Tayou as well as by the forward’s club teammates Israel Sesay, DeBray Hollimon, Justin Stinson and brother Uzi Tayou.

Another trio of Ontario players will be donning the jersey of Mexico in Robert Tornel and brothers Juan Carlos Gonzalez and Manuel Gonzalez.

Tickets for the clash between the United States and El Tri, which is hosted by the Fury and presented by Blink Fitness, start at $10 and have been going fast. They may be purchased here.

Ex-U.S. Men’s National Team aces Jones and Donovan both came out of retirement to embark on their Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) careers during the recently concluded season, and both adapted exceptionally well. While the Fury’s Jones tore through opposition defenses in his side’s final five games en route to a 2.8 points-per-game average that ended up tied for second-best in the league, fellow midfielder Donovan posted a strong 2.0 points-per game average over the course of eight appearances with the San Diego Sockers.

Over the course of the past two decades, Jones made a name for himself courtesy of numerous appearances in the top flights of Germany, England and Turkey as well as in Major League Soccer and for the United States, including in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. During that same time period, Donovan shined in three separate World Cups while spending the brunt of his career stateside with the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Inland Empire native sits tied for top all-time goal-scorer for the Red, White and Blue with 57 strikes.

Arguably the most dominant attacker in the MASL in recent years, Franck Tayou topped the regular season charts for both points and goals scored in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18, taking home three straight MVP awards and leading Soles de Sonora to two Ron Newman Cup Finals. After also leading the league in points-per-game average in his final two seasons at Sonora, the now 29-year-old moved on to the Monterrey Flash for the 2018-19 season and again won the goal-scoring race while also reaching yet another championship match. 

Complete rosters for both the U.S. and Mexico National Arena Soccer Teams may be found below. Fans interested in attending the historic duel between the two regional giants should click here for tickets.

Roster - U.S. National Arena Soccer Team

Team staff

Roster - Mexico National Arena Soccer Team

 Team staff