Xoloitzcuintles get goals from Moreno, Arango and Arriola in Week 5

MEXICO CITY (Aug. 15, 2015)– Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles beat host Cruz Azul 3-1 in a Week 5 match of the 2015 Apertura in the LIGA MX Saturday.

Dayro Moreno, Juan Arango and Chula Vista, Calif. native Paul Arriola scored for the Xoloitzcuintles while Christian Gimenez scored for Cruz Azul in the Week 5 match at Estadio Azul.

The win gives Club Tijuana coached by Ruben Romano three more points in the standings of the 2015 Apertura tournament in the LIGA MX, Mexico’s top-flight league. Club Tijuana came-from-behind to beat the Mexico City team for the first time in Mexican soccer since reaching promotion to the First Division in 2011 from the minor leagues. Romano’s team was 0-4-4 against Cruz Azul, the team Romano coached in 2005. It was also the second road win of the season for the Xoloitzcuintles.

Cruz Azul (2-3-0, 6 points), who finished with a man down, took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute when Gimenez converted a penalty kick. Club Tijuana was whistled for the penalty kick when Jimenez took down Gimenez in the area, as the Xoloitzcuintles defense could not clear a ball in the back. Club Tijuana players argued the Cruz Azul player fouled Leiton Jimenez first. The referee would not listen. Gimenez sent his PK to the right of Vilar, just beating the Xoloitzcuintles goalkeeper.

Club Tijuana (2-3-0, 6 points) responded with a goal in the 22^nd minute when Henry Martin took a Diego de Buen ball from outside the right side of the penalty box and beat Francisco Rodriguez with a series of moves in the area. That left Henry with plenty of space to draw two more defenders and leave Moreno wide open. Moreno took the Henry pass and tapped the ball under Cruz Azul goalkeeper Jesus Corona, tying the match 1-1. It was Moreno’s fourth goal of the season.

It didn’t take long for coach Ruben Romano’s team to score again. Club Tijuana midfielder Juan Arango scored on one of his signature free kicks. The Venezuelan hit a volley over the Cruz Azul defensive wall and bounced it over Corona’s head. Corona could not reach the bounce, buried in the back of the net.

Cruz Azul finished the match with 10 men after Gerardo Torrado was ejected with a red card after stepping on Rodrigo Salinas’ back on a play. Club Tijuana took advantage of the situation and came out attacking with the extra space in the second half. It was Martin helping to create the third Xoloitzcuintles goal in the 48^th minute.  Arriola, a Mater Dei High graduate, took the Martin pass in the area and blasted his shot off the crossbar and into goal for the 3-1 lead. It was Arriola’s first goal in Mexico’s top league. The United States Youth National team player had previously scored for Club Tijuana at youth and Copa MX levels.

The Xoloitzcuintles tried to pressure the shorthanded Cruz Azul the rest of the match but the home team was bunkered in its own territory defending.

Club Tijuana will now travel to face Necaxa in Copa MX action Tuesday Aug. 18. It will then return to Tijuana to host Tigres UANL Friday Aug. 21 in LIGA MX action at Estadio Caliente.

FINAL SCORE:

XOLOS 3, CRUZ AZUL 1

SCORING

8th- Christian Gimenez- Cruz Azul

22^nd –Dayro Moreno –Tijuana

24^th– Juan Arango –Tijuana

48^th –Paul Arriola –Tijuana

Rosters:

Tijuana: 3. Javier Gandolfi, 8. Diego de Buen, 11. Henry Martin, 16. Michael Orozco, 17. Dayro Moreno, 18. Juan Arango (Carlos Guzman 71^st) 22. Juan Carlos Nuñez, 23. Felipe Flores (Paul Arriola 46^th), 29. Rodrigo Salinas (Antonio Madueña 69^th), 30. Leiton Jimenez, 33. Federico Vilar

Coach: Ruben Omar Romano

Cruz Azul: 1. Jose Corona, 3 Francisco Rodríguez, 4 Julio Dominguez, 5 Fabio Santos, 6 Gerardo Torrado, 7 Lucas Silva, 10 Christian Gimenez (Omar Mendoza 49^th), 11 Joao Rojas, 18 Ariel Rojas (Rafael Baca 46th), 23 Richard Ruiz, 27 Jorge Benitez (Marc Crosas 52nd)

Coach: Sergio Bueno