US, Mexico set to play soccer friendly in Glendale

The U.S. and Mexico will play an international soccer friendly at State Farm Stadium on April 19, the federations announced Tuesday.

It will be the first time the sides have faced off in Glendale since a 2-2 draw in 2014. They previously played in Arizona in 2007, when the U.S. won, 2-0.

Ticket pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, with tickets going on sale to Visa cardholders on March 22 and to the general public on March 23. The match, set to kick off at 7:22 local time, will be broadcast on TBS, Telemundo and Universo. It will be streamed on HBO Max and Peacock.

This match will carry less fervor than most between the two bitter rivals. It does not fall within a FIFA international window, meaning club teams are not obligated to release players to participate.

When Mexico played in a friendly outside of a FIFA window last April against Guatemala, only three of those starters ultimately earned a call up to the World Cup roster in November. The match in Glendale will likely feature a similar lack of star power.

Still, it’s an opportunity for new Mexico manager Diego Cocca to make a strong first impression against his northern rivals. Tata Martino, the national team’s previous boss, had a disastrous tenure against the U.S. From June 2021 to March 2022, the U.S. beat Mexico in two continental finals, won 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Cincinnati and drew 0-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Mexico City. The U.S. also performed better at the World Cup, reaching the round of 16, while Mexico was eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 1978.

Now, it’s the U.S. that is embroiled in turmoil. The federation has not yet announced a new manager for the upcoming World Cup cycle, which will culminate in the 2026 World Cup being held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The coaching search has been complicated by a blackmail scandal involving the parents of Gio Reyna — the team’s star winger — and previous manager Gregg Berhalter, who remains a candidate to return for another cycle.

Women’s hockey championship set for Mullett Arena

The 2023 Isobel Cup Championship, which caps the Premier Hockey Federation season, will take place at Mullett Arena on March 26 as part of a doubleheader with the Arizona Coyotes.

The PHF is a women’s professional league that has been in existence since 2016 and rebranded from National Women’s Hockey League in 2021. There are no franchises west of Minnesota, but the league is bringing the Isobel Cup to Tempe because, as commissioner Reagan Carey said in a statement, “As we continue building momentum for our sport in the new PHF era, it’s important to strengthen relationships in different markets and grow the game by showcasing professional women’s hockey to more fans throughout North America.”

Four teams remain in contention for the cup: Boston Pride, Toronto Six, Connecticut Whale and Minnesota Whitecaps. The Pride are the two-time defending champions and were also crowned the league’s inaugural winner in 2016.

The Isobel Cup game will be played at 6 p.m., following the Coyotes-Colorado Avalanche game at noon. This will be the first time the championship will be played on NHL ice. Tickets are on sale at the mullettarena.com. More information about the PHF playoffs can be found at premierhockey federation.com/playoffs.

Pro women’s volleyball coming to Mesa this fall

The third season of Athletes Unlimited, the only professional women’s volleyball league in the U.S., will take place this fall at Bell Bank Park in Mesa.

The league, which consists of 44 of the world’s top players, will play 30 matches in October and November, and be shown on various ESPN platforms. The draft for the upcoming season takes place March 20 in Dallas, and the league will undertake an exhibition tour of college campuses from March 23-April 21.

The schedule will be announced later, but season-ticket information is available online at auprosports.com.