EDINBURG, Texas – Five games into its inaugural season, Rio Grande Valley FC opened its home schedule Saturday night with a raucous sellout crowd welcoming the team home at the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, the team’s temporary home before showcasing its 10,000-seat soccer-specific stadium later this season in Edinburg, Texas.

Fans were turned away at the gates of the UT-Rio Grande Valley Soccer Stadium early in the night after the Toros announced a sellout hours before the team’s contest with LA Galaxy II.

The passion on display from the supporters was exactly what was envisioned last year when Alonzo Cantu was awarded a USL club, bringing professional soccer to one of the fastest-growing and underserved soccer markets in the United States. A number of USL executives were in attendance Saturday night and were impressed by the support and passion on display.

“Clearly, the Rio Grande Valley community has quickly embraced the Toros,” said Tom Veit, the USL’s Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer. “When the USL awarded a club to Alonzo Cantu, we knew the league was bringing in a club that had all three pillars of our expansion strategy; a strong local ownership group, an outstanding stadium plan, and a passionate fanbase. All signs point to Rio Grande Valley FC being another USL success story.”

RGVFC confirmed Saturday night that tickets for future games would go on sale on Monday at 10 a.m. CT and that the team was looking at additional seating options to offer more fans a short-term solution. The UT-RGV Soccer Stadium saw its first action this past fall, and is home to a pristine natural surface allowing for a high level of play on the field.

The RGVFC Stadium will open later this year and is already being heralded as a soccer showcase featuring state-of-the-art construction, design and amenities, including suites and club seats. Construction on the Toros’ 10,000-seat soccer-specific stadium began last fall and in line with the stadium initiative currently being undertaken by the USL with global design firm HoK.

Owned by Alonzo Cantu, owner of the NBA Developmental League Rio Grande Valley Vipers, RGVFC serves as a hybrid affiliate of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo. The Rio Grande Valley is a four-county region located in the southernmost tip of South Texas that is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. with a population surpassing 1.3 million.