Local fans will get a chance to see international soccer stars play when the Ventura County Fusion hosts Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer, and GAIS of the Swedish First Division in a series of public exhibition games at Buena High in Ventura this month.

USA internationals Kasey Keller (the most capped goalkeeper in U.S. history), Clint Mathis and Robbie Findley, and Swedish captain Freddie Ljunberg are among the top professional stars expected to play.

Keller and Ljunberg are with Seattle, while Mathis and Findley are with Real Salt Lake.

Ljunberg, a former Calvin Klein model who appeared in three World Cups, is ranked as the 11th-greatest player in the history of Arsenal FC in England, where he played for nine years, winning two Premier League titles, three FA Cup Finals and a European Championship runners-up medal.

In addition to top-named stars, the visiting MLS clubs bring a host of exciting young talent with local connections bidding for starting places in next season's rosters.

Among the players are Jean Alexandre, the former Fusion player that was the No. 12 overall draft pick by Real Salt Lake in the 2009 MLS Super Draft, and Chris Seitz, the former Thousand Oaks High star and USA U23 international goalkeeper starting his second MLS season.

Real Salt Lake, an '08 MLS semifinalist, will enjoy its second consecutive year of winter training in Ventura as guests of the Fusion from Feb. 2 to 14 in preparation for the new MLS season beginning in March.

The brandnew Seattle franchise, partly owned by Drew Carey and coached by the experienced Sigi Schmid, will be in town Feb. 2 to 15 preparing for its first MLS season. GAIS, a four-time Swedish champion, will make camp from Feb. 6 to 19.

Fusion will provide players for the professionals' private training scrimmages as well as the exhibition games open to the public, giving local players an opportunity to pit themselves against the world's best.

Last year, Fusion defeated MLS champions Columbus Crew 1-0 before 1,100 spectators at Buena's Bulldog Stadium on a goal by Oxnard College's Sergio Garcia.

Fans can pre-purchase special three-game admission packages to all the exhibition games—adult $25, youth $20, family pack with two adult and two youth $80—or pay by the game—adult $10, youth $8, family pack $30.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.vcfusion.com; at the Ventura County Fusion office, 701 E. Santa Clara St., Ste. 42, in Ventura; and at Xtreme Soccer, 2377 N. Oxnard Blvd. in Oxnard.

Tickets purchased at the games will be available at $15 for adults and $10 for youth.