OAKLAND, Calif. – Following a historic 2025 USL Championship home opener that drew over 26,000 fans to the Oakland Coliseum, the Oakland Roots have caught the attention of the international soccer stage. The Mexican National Team, El Tri, is set to return to Oakland for the first time in more than a decade, headlining a marquee weekend of soccer in The Town.

Mexico will face Japan on Saturday, September 6 in a highly-anticipated international friendly. As a result, the USL Championship regular season fixture between Oakland Roots and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has been rescheduled to Sunday, September 7 at 1:00 p.m. PT. The change comes in partnership with the Mexican Football Federation. 

“We are incredibly excited about this fall weekend of soccer in Oakland at the Coliseum,” said Lindsay Barenz, Oakland Roots President. “What we have collectively shown with our fans is that Oakland is a soccer town and that when Oakland does something special like we did with 26,000 fans at the Coliseum on March 22nd the world takes notice and wants to be a part of something special.”

Oakland has a storied history with the Mexican National Team, having hosted several matches at the Coliseum, most recently in 2011 against Panama. In the early 2000s, the venue was a key destination in Northern California for El Tri, regularly drawing sellout crowds. This will be Japan’s first-ever appearance in Oakland, coming shortly after becoming one of the first nations to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We are delighted to return to Oakland and the Bay Area, a community that over the years has been so supportive to the MexTour and the Mexican Men’s National Team,” said Pablo Zarate, Vice President of International Properties for Soccer United Marketing (SUM). “This match plays a key role in Mexico’s preparation, as it will be against Japan, the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ensuring fans experience top-tier international competition.”

All tickets for the Oakland Roots vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds match originally scheduled for September 6 will automatically transfer to the new date, September 7, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. PT.