Club America, Tijuana bring Mexican rivalry to L.A.

The most interesting aspect of Saturday’s Mexican league preseason game between Tijuana and Club America at the StubHub Center could be the games within the game.

On the Club America side, new manager Antonio Mohamed, who was introduced as Miguel Herrera’s replacement just 10 days ago, will be seeking revenge against the team that fired him just six months after he led it to a Liga MX title.

Mohamed’s new team also has nine men who were on the roster of the Mexican national team last month when El Tri earned a berth in the 2014 World Cup by beating New Zealand in a two-leg intercontinental playoff. All of them now have five months to prove they deserve to be on the Mexican team in Brazil as well.

On the Tijuana side, Mexican American players Joe Castillo and Edgar Castillo each played eight games for the U.S. national team in 2013 and are among those on the shortlist of candidates for a spot on Juergen Klinsmann’s World Cup team. A good performance against a Club America team deep in World Cup candidates of its own would be one way to catch Klinsmann’s eye heading into the new year.

Plus the Xolos have two potential Mexican national players of their own in goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo and midfielder Fernando Arce.

Saturday’s 5 p.m. match is the first between the teams in Los Angeles County. But the teams have played twice in San Diego in the last two years, with Tijuana winning last summer’s San Diego Classic at Petco Park, 5-2. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in a 2012 meeting at Qualcomm Stadium.

As of Friday afternoon, tickets priced between $35 and $68.75 were still available at the StubHub Center box office and online at axs.com.

ALSO:

NFL playoffs: Who will claim the final spots? [Poll]

Boston Marathon bombing named AP story of the year

Grandson of Bobby Bowden killed in single-car accident