The Ventura County Fusion will host CD Chivas de Guadalajara's Under-20 team in a friendly 7 p.m. Friday night at Ventura College

The Fusion are expected to use a lineup that will feature a reunion of many of the players that won the 2009 Premier Development League championship, including midfielder Rodrigo Lopez, strikers Artur Aghasyan and Hagop Chirishian and defenders Dylan Riley and Manny Guzman.

Although current Fusion players like goalkeeper Brian Rowe, midfielder Andy Rose and forward Reed Williams are reading for the NCAA College Cup with UCLA, goalkeeper Sam Hayden and defender Mickey Daly are available for the Fusion, as well as Oxnard College products Ivan Mirkovic, Emigdio Ramirez and Mathayo Huma, and Cal Lutheran forward Raul Yepez.

Chivas is the most successful team in Mexican history, having won 11 first division titles and reached the final of the 2010 Copa Libertadores. It has produced world-renowned players like Javier "Chicarito" Hernandez, Carlos Vela and Carlos Salcido.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children and can be ordered at http://www.vcfusion.com or by calling (805) 830-8027.

The Fusion then will wrap up its regular season Saturday night against the visiting Los Angeles Legends at the Ventura College Sportsplex.

A pair of Fresno wins has seen the defending Southwest Division champion drop into second place, a point behind the Fuego, 36-35. To defend its title, the Fusion will have to win Saturday and hope the Fuego fail to win Saturday at the Southern California Seahorses and Sunday at the Legends.

A second-place finish wouldn't just mean missing out on the division title, but would set up a rematch of last year's postseason meeting with Kitsap, which the Fusion lost on penalty kicks.

He refused to wax poetic about opening of the VC Sportplex ahead of time, but it's clear that, looking back, Saturday night was a special night for Ventura coach Jon Mack.

"Now that it's over, you can reflect back on the flyover, the fireworks, turning around and seeing nothing but people in the stands shoulder to shoulder," said Mack. "Now the whole emotion of the event can sink in. There will be some great memories."

The VC Sportsplex was officially opened as a football venue with a flyover by a 1945 B41 Mustang fighter jet and a fireworks display.

The Ventura College football team will host its first game in the VC Sports Plex Saturday night. Working on a story for Saturday's paper this week, I heard the opening ceremonies will include fireworks and a flyover, sponsored by Jersey Mike's Subs.

Festivities will begin at 6:40 p.m. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

At least one of the luxury boxes atop the stadium remains unsold. For $500, a group can have access to a large private box alongside the press and coaches boxes. The price includes dinner.

Call the Ventura College athletic office (805-654-6347) for more information.

It's been 54 years since Ventura College moved from Poli Street to Telegraph Avenue, about 10 years since the first planning stages of the VC Sports Plex, nearly eight years since the funding was secured by the Measure S bond, almost five years since construction broke ground and four years since the Ventura College women's soccer team began playing games in the new stadium without permanent seating.

Ventura actually played what was believed to be its final football game at Larrabee Stadium four times -- beating Santa Barbara City 45-13 in 2005, losing 44-13 to Bakersfield in 2006 and beating Santa Monica 46-0 to clinch a share of the WSC title in 2007.

When the Pirates finally line up on campus against Los Angeles Valley Saturday night, the program's final game at its previous 76-year home will become last year's sweet season finale, a 35-13 Citrus Cup win over Moorpark.

Were they just waiting for the right bit of trivia?