Photo: Saskatchewan Roughriders Twitter

The Cosmos travel to western Canada to feature as part of the “Soccer Day in Saskatchewan” celebration when they face Valencia CF of La Liga in a friendly at Regina’s sparkling new Mosaic Stadium. The honor comes with the opening of the 33,000 seat stadium, part of the Regina Revitalization Initiative in the Queen City.

The arena was built at Evraz Place, a short stroll down the street from the prior Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, home to the Saskatchewan Roughriders since 1936. The Roughriders’ rich history goes back to 1910 with the founding of the Regina Rugby Club. The Green and White were charter members of the Canadian Football League in 1958. The Riders played their first game at their new home on June 10th in a preseason meeting with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and have played two regular season games there since.

The Prairie wind was always a concern at Taylor Field. Designed by HKS in collaboration with B+H, and built by PCL of Edmonton, the lower bowl of the new Mosaic is 33 feet below ground level, protecting fans and the ensuring better playing conditions than at the old stadium.

Some gridiron football fans have complained about permanent yellow soccer lines on the new FieldTurf Revolution 360 playing surface. A college gridiron contest between the University of Regina Rams and University of Saskatchewan Huskies on October 1, 2016 was the first test event at the new Mosaic. Women’s soccer teams from the same universities will also play in a doubleheader for “Soccer Day in Saskatchewan,” marking the first time those yellow lines will be used to play football there by the association code.

The Regina Rocks Mosaic Stadium concert, featuring Canadian rocker, Bryan Adams, was the first music event at the stadium. Guns N’ Roses will play the Mosaic on August 27^th. The stadium is sure to become one of Canada’s premier multipurpose sport and entertainment facilities.

The players are sure to appreciate the state-of-the-art facilities, which include spacious locker and meeting rooms, a weight room, whirlpool baths, and even a barber shop – just in case anyone needs a cut or a trim before taking the field.

This will be the seventh time the Cosmos will face Spanish opposition, playing twice against Atletico Madrid in 1978, once at Real Betis in 1980, hosting Barcelona in 1984, traveling to Villareal in 2013 for the Marcos Senna testimonial, and in May 2016, the New Yorkers played SD Eibar in Las Vegas. The Cosmos are 2-2-2 facing Spanish opposition.

This will be the first visit to Saskatchewan for the Cosmos. The Saskatchewan Soccer Association was formed in 1906, with games being played by the association code in the province as early as 1889. Jennifer Ellarma, Coordinator of Communications and Funds Development for the Saskatchewan Soccer Association, explained the historic magnitude of the friendly visit:

For us in Saskatchewan, the opportunity to think of a team like the New York Cosmos coming our way is something that, if you talk to many that have been around for decades, they never thought they would see happen. When you talk about the likes of a Pelé and players of that caliber playing in a team like New York, it inspires I would think players of old, who remember that era, and inspires the young families they have, too. So it’s a really great opportunity for us to see almost two-or-three generations of soccer in our province coming out to see a team like New York.

The Saskatchewan Soccer Association is also hosting a youth camp the day before the match, which will include watching the Cosmos in training. “It inspires our young players to have the opportunity to watch this caliber of sport that we weren’t expecting and it creates an opportunity for mentorship and learning,” explains Ellarma.

So along with Valencia, the Cosmos will be honored guests at an unprecedented occasion for soccer in the Queen City. According to Ellarma,

When you get talking about the big game, that the brand new stadium will be filled with thousands of soccer fans is a thing that we didn’t expect. To have the provincial government behind us, to have it proclaimed “Soccer Day in Saskatchewan,” that’s a pretty big deal for us. And we couldn’t be more happy to have a team like New York on that field.

With sports fans in Saskatchewan accustomed to cheering a team wearing green and white, even if it is a different code of football, Ellarma expects the Cosmos will have a warm welcome: “We want this to be a big deal for them, just as much as it’s a big deal for us.”

Living up to the club’s legacy as America’s International Team, the Cosmos will be making the most of their summer break by not only testing themselves against one of Spain’s most successful clubs, but also by helping promote the Beautiful Game and representing New York in Saskatchewan.

The Cosmos take on Valencia CF on Saturday, July 22 at 6:00 pm ET. Tune in on the BeIN Sports network.