The International Soccer Challenge returns to Bakersfield College to bring a professional game in Memorial Stadium. The game is between Monarcas Morelia and the recent champions of Liga MX, Pachuca.

The event will be taking place at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 9. Tickets are available starting at $20 and can be purchased at the BC box office.

Champions Soccer, an organization that specializes in planning preseason and postseason exhibition matches for some of the world’s top soccer teams, is hosting the game. They hosted last year’s game as well.

Ranbir Shergill, who’s been involved in the business for about 10 years and is a CSUB graduate, provided information about the game how the event came together.

The reasons why they brought a pro soccer game for the second time to Memorial Stadium was the renovation of the field that made the field wider, making it playable for professional soccer as well as the success they had at last year’s game.

Following the success, they are back with two teams that have a huge amount of Kern County followers in the Liga MX with the current champions Pachuca taking on Monarcas Morelia.

“Both teams have international players on their roster, both managers are very well known and it should be a great match and opportunity for people in Bakersfield to watch a pro soccer game,” Shergill said. Some of the top players who will be there are Pachuca’s Omar Gonzales and goalkeeper Óscar Pérez Rojas and Monarcas’s Jefferson Cuero and Enrique Pérez.

Shergill mentioned how he has had history with both of the clubs, which builds a relationship between the organization and the teams, which he has recently worked with Pachuca not long ago setting up a game against the San Jose Earthquakes.

“We have a great contact base and relations with both of the teams due to successful work from past games, and teams love traveling to the United States knowing they have fans here and with the success of last year’s game in a venue they really enjoyed gave them more of a reason to offer another opportunity for a pro soccer game,” said Shergill.

Shergill knows soccer is the biggest sport in the world and has been increasing in popularity in the United States, so it’s great for him to bring this event to Bakersfield, who doesn’t really have professional soccer close to them. The event offers a chance to give them “a unique opportunity to experience a live event with two top quality teams that will be very entertaining, will be a great experience and to watch right here in your own neighborhood so it’s not an opportunity to be missed.”