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Originally published Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 3:31 PM
Sounders will play Mexican team in Community Shield match Feb. 29
Sounders FC will play Mexico's Jaguares in a final preseason game Feb. 29. Admission for the 7 p.m. kickoff at CenturyLink Field is free.
Seattle Times staff reporter
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Sounders FC completed its preseason plans Thursday with the announcement of an anticipated Feb. 29 Community Shield preseason match.
The team's final warm-up before the 2012 season will be at CenturyLink Field against Jaguares de Chiapas of the Mexican Primera Division. There is no admission fee for the 7 p.m. kickoff but fans are encouraged to donate at the gate to benefit the team's charitable partners.
Seating will be open in the stadium's lower east bowl. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Sounders FC's Community Shield is an annual preseason home game based upon a model in England in which the winner of the league championship plays the winner of the FA Cup, with all proceeds going to charity.
Last year, Seattle held to that formula by hosting Colorado to make it a true Community Shield game — in 2010, the Sounders won the U.S. Open Cup and the Rapids won the MLS Cup.
While scheduling a Mexican opponent this year doesn't fit that model, Jaguares should provide the Sounders with more useful preparation for a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal against Primera Division leaders Santos Laguna. Seattle also plays a preseason game against Mexico's Atlante FC in Cancun on Feb. 22.
Sounders FC hosts the first leg of the CCL quarterfinal against Santos Laguna — a home-and-home, aggregate-goals series — on March 7 and plays a subsequent road leg on March 14. The team's MLS opener is at home against Toronto FC on March 17.
Notes
• The Sounders will practice at Starfire on Friday before taking training camp to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for 10 days starting Saturday.
• The Feb. 29 preseason game will be the first on a new FieldTurf surface at CenturyLink Field that is being installed this month.
• A report from Honduras indicates that defender Ever Alvarado's tryout with Sounders FC has ended and he has rejoined his club team, Real Espana.
• Game tickets for the 2012 MLS season go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday.
• The Sounders have sold approximately 14,000 tickets for their March 7 home game against Santos Laguna. Ticket prices start at $15 and are available by calling 800-745-3000 or at SoundersFC.com.
Joshua Mayers: 206-464-3184 or jmayers@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @joshuamayers.
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