EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - The Mexican national team will help inaugurate the New Meadowlands Stadium against Ecuador and a capacity crowd of over 75,000, game promoters Soccer United Marketing (SUM) said Wednesday.

The sellout for the friendly, the first major test of the new $1.6 billion facility, will mark El Tri's return to the sports complex in suburban New York, across the Hudson River in New Jersey, since it beat the United States 5-0 in July in the Gold Cup final at Giants Stadium, which is being demolished next door.

"I am very excited, happy to return to New York," manager Javier Aguirre said. "Things went well for us here recently in Gold Cup. We get to see our friends from CONCACAF and we will inaugurate a stadium.

"The players are happy but there is pressure to play well, largely because I have 26 players and only 23 can go to the World Cup. They are tense but with a lot of desire to play a good game."

The New Meadowlands Stadium replaces Giants Stadium, which was the site of two Gold Cup championship games as well as matches from the 1994 World Cup and countless friendlies since it opened in 1976. The new facility was first used April 10 for the Big City Classic college lacrosse tournament.

The Mexico-Ecuador match is the first of a three-game U.S. tour for El Tri that will also have Mexico play Senegal on May 10 in Chicago, and Angola on May 13 in Houston before their World Cup "sendoff" game in Mexico City against Chile on May 17. SUM, the marketing arm of Major League Soccer, is managing the tour.

Mexican players received their first look at the new building, set to become the home of the National Football League's New York Giants and New York Jets, on Wednesday, training for about 90 minutes on the natural grass surface.

"It's a privilege to be in these stadiums," said captain Gerardo Torrado, who also was on hand when Mexico inaugurated the New Dallas Cowboys Stadium during Gold Cup, "because they're monsters."

Mexico will play in Group A at the World Cup against host South Africa as well as former champions Uruguay and France.