The Desert Friendlies presented by FC Tucson start Tuesday, Jan. 29, at North Field #5.

Tuesday, Jan. 29                   11 a.m.           Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids

3 p.m.             San Jose Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo

6 p.m.             FC Tucson vs. Sporting KC

Thursday, Jan. 31                  6 p.m.             Houston Dynamo vs Colorado Rapids

Friday, Feb. 1                        6 p.m.            Sporting KC vs. Portland Timbers

Saturday, Feb. 2                   11 a.m.           San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids

4 p.m.             Houston Dynamo vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

Tuesday, Feb. 5                    11 a.m.           Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers

Friday, Feb. 8                        11 a.m.           FC Tucson vs. Portland Timbers

Five days later, The Desert Diamond Cup returns to Kino Stadium.

Wednesday, Feb. 13            5 p.m.             New England Revolution vs. Seattle Sounders

7 p.m.             New York Red Bulls vs. Real Salt Lake

Saturday, Feb. 16                 4 p.m.             Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake

6 p.m.             New York Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution

Wednesday, Feb. 20            5 p.m.             Real Salt Lake vs. New England Revolution

7 p.m.             Seattle Sounders vs. New York Red Bulls

Saturday, Feb. 23                 4 p.m.             MLS 3^rd Place vs. MLS 4^th Place

6 p.m.             MLS 1^st Place vs. MLS 2^nd Place

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.FCTucson.com.

Beginning Saturday, Feb. 2, and running through Sunday, Feb. 17, the Kino Gem and Mineral Show and The Rock Show bring hundreds of vendors and acres of fossils, crystals, beads, jewelry, gems and rocks to tables and tents in the Kino stadium parking lot and south soccer field, respectively. Admission and parking is free. For more information, including a vendor list, visit http://www.as-shows.com/pages/ and www.rockshowtucson.com/Rock_Show_Tucson/Home.html.

The Mulcahy Y (formerly Kino Community Center), 2805 E. Ajo Way, is once again the venue for the Best Bead Show Feb. 6-10. The showroom opens at 10 a.m. daily and closes at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6; 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; and 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking is free. There is a charge for classes. For more information, including vendor and class lists, visit www.bestbeadshow.com/BestBeadShows/BestBeadShow.aspx?id=1.

Tickets go on sale Saturday, Feb. 9, for the Major League Baseball spring training game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 21 at Kino Stadium. Visit www.tucsonpadres.com, call 520-434-1367 or stop by the Kino Stadium box office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Tucson Padres season ticket holders, voucher plan holders and sponsors can purchase their spring training tickets a week in advance by calling 520-434-1367.

Kino Sports Complex (www.kinosportscomplex.com), 2500 E. Ajo Way, is home to both the Triple-A Tucson Padres baseball team and the FC Tucson soccer club. It is the largest professional sports and entertainment venue of its kind in Pima County.  It includes the 11,000-seat Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, seven baseball fields (four with lights), lighted softball fields, a regulation Soccer Stadium (lighted) and four additional fields for soccer, field hockey, rugby, and lacrosse. It is a natural fit for youth, high school, collegiate, and professional sports; and makes a great setting for social gatherings, concerts, and community events.

The Desert Friendlies Presented by FC Tucson will be open to the public and lead up to the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup later in February.

Five of the teams – Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, Portland Timbers, San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City – will be training in Tucson. Two more teams that are also playing in the Desert Diamond Cup – New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders – will also play in the friendly matches.

All the matches will be played at the Kino Sports Complex’s North Field #5, north of Ajo Way.

“Not only will the teams enjoy themselves, but soccer fans in Tucson are going to love the up close view of professional soccer,” said FC Tucson co-managing member and general manager Jon Pearlman.

“There will be limited seats, but those who come will be just a few feet from the sidelines. They will get to experience a match closer than they ever could at an MLS stadium and it’s going to be very affordable for the entire family.”

Tickets will go on sale in November. The match schedule is:

• Tuesday, Jan. 29
  11 a.m. Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids
  3 p.m. Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo
  6 p.m. San Jose Earthquakes vs. New England Revolution
• Thursday, Jan. 31
  6 p.m. Houston Dynamo vs. Colorado Rapids
• Friday, Feb. 1
  6 p.m. Sporting KC vs. Portland Timbers
• Saturday, Feb. 2
  11 a.m. San Jose Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo
  6 p.m. Colorado Rapids vs. TBA
• Tuesday, Feb. 5
  11 a.m. Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers
• Friday, Feb. 8
  11 a.m. FC Tucson vs. Portland Timbers

New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake will join New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders in the double-header, round-robin Desert Diamond Cup at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Feb. 13, 17, 20 and 23.

FC Tucson, established in 2010, owns FC Tucson Soccer, Tucson’s top-level soccer team and the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup. Follow FC Tucson at www.fctucson.com.

Kino Sports Complex (www.kinospsortscomplex.com) is home to both the Triple-A Tucson Padres baseball team and the FC Tucson soccer club. It is the largest professional sports and entertainment venue of its kind in Pima County.  It includes the 11,000-seat Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, seven baseball fields (four with lights), lighted softball fields, a regulation Soccer Stadium (lighted) and four additional fields for soccer, field hockey, rugby, and lacrosse. With its panoramic view of the Santa Catalina Mountains, it is a natural fit for youth, high school, collegiate, and professional sports. Plus, it makes a great setting for social gatherings, concerts, and community events.

Keep up with Pima County on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pimacountyarizona.

Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias helps unveil posters of the four Major League Soccer teams that will be participating in the 2013 Desert Diamond Cup at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium

“Tucson needs to have a professional sports amenity we can all be proud of,” Elias said at a news conference in the lobby of the Pima County Administration Building. “This is about economic development and bringing new money into our community.”

Pima County will invest $2 million to build five permanent soccer venues north of Ajo Way; two of them will be arenas that will seat 1,000 and 3,000 spectators.

Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said that the $2 million comes out of the $5 million that the Chicago White Sox paid to terminate their contract with Pima County when they moved their spring training to Glendale.

“Taxpayers aren’t paying this,” Huckelberry said.  “This is thanks to the Chicago White Sox.”

The work will mark the turning point of converting Kino Sports Complex from a baseball facility to a year-round multi-sports facility, he said.

“It will be the premier facility within the region, and it will improve from there,” Huckelberry said.

Kino Sports Complex north field #1, which will be converted to an arena-like venue that will seat 3,000 spectators.

Greg Foster, one of FC Tucson’s managing partners, said the private-public partnership between FC Tucson and Pima County has been critical to the success of the club and the Desert Diamond Cup.

Major League Soccer notified FC Tucson last week that it is designating Tucson the “western hub of MLS preseason.”

This is a development and branding concept that will lead to all MLS teams traveling to Tucson and Orlando in preseason, Foster said.  Six MLS teams will be participating in 2013 spring training in central Florida, it was announced last week.

FC Tucson is negotiating with four MLS teams to play at the Kino north soccer complex between Jan. 19 and Feb. 6.

“Without the County’s assistance, without their investment, this would not have been possible,” Foster said.  “The Pima County Board of Supervisors and the County administration have been indispensable in this process.”

In the 2013 Desert Diamond Cup, the New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders will play the double-header, round-robin tournament at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Feb. 13, 17 and 20. The tournament final and the third-place game will be played on Feb. 23.

The final game will be broadcast live in prime time by NBC Sports, said Chris Keeney, another FC Tucson managing partner.

NBC Sports will put Tucson on display for up to 80 million households, he said.

Adding the Seattle Sounders to the tournament lineup is significant, Keeney said, because they have an incredible fan base.  Attendance averaged more than 40,000 per game in 2012.

“You may be seeing a sea of green in February,” Keeney said, when many of those fans opt to travel from wintry Washington state to Tucson’s warmer climate.

Supervisor Elías concluded that growing soccer’s presence in Pima County is about “quality of life,” about families sharing good times that will be remembered.

“We’re building more memories,” he said.  “We’re building quality of life.”

Kino Sports Complex is the largest professional sports and entertainment venue of its kind in Pima County.  It includes the 11,000-seat Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, seven baseball fields (four with lights), lighted softball fields, a regulation Soccer Stadium (lighted) and four additional fields available for soccer, field hockey, rugby, and lacrosse. With its panoramic view of the Santa Catalina Mountains, it is a natural fit for youth, high school and collegiate sports. Plus, it makes a great setting for social gatherings, concerts, and community events.

Kino Sports Complex is home to the Triple-A Tucson Padres baseball team and the FC Tucson soccer club.  To learn more, or to schedule an event, go to www.kinosportscomplex.com or call (520)546-KINO (5466).

Keep up with Pima County on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pimacountyarizona.