Xoloitzcuintles score first but Tigres answers with pair of second half goals

TIJUANA (Aug. 21, 2015) –Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles allowed a pair of second half goals in a 2-1 loss to visiting Tigres UNAL in a Week 6 match of the LIGA MX Friday night at Estadio Caliente.

Dayro Moreno scored for Club Tijuana in the 60^th minute but it was not enough. Tigres answered with goals by Jose Rivas in the 70^th and Joffre Guzman in the 84^th. The Xoloitzcuintles remain at six points in the standings with a 2-4 record and has not won at home since March during the previous tournament. It was Tigres’ first win at Estadio Caliente.

Moreno gave the home team a 1-0 lead when he tapped in a cross by Rodrigo Salinas near the goal line. Moreno beat Tigres goalkeeper Nauel Guzman for his fifth goal of the tournament.

It was one of a handful of dangerous attempts by Moreno throughout the match. The Xoloitzcuintles created several scoring opportunities but could not find the net after Moreno’s score. Moreno came off in the 70^th minute as Paul Arriola came on as his substitute.

Tigres tied the match after Moreno left the field. Rivas poked in a lose ball that caromed off a Xolos player and a Tigres defender after a corner kick into the six-yard box. Rivas saw the ball at his feet and didn’t waste time sending it inches to the right leg of Xolos goalkeeper Federico Vilar into the net. The Xoloitzcuintles tried to answer with a couple of shots. Arriola, a Mater Dei High in Chula Vista graduate, nearly scored in the 76^th minute when he sent back a rebound with a powerful right-footed shot but Guzman punched it away with two fists as he dove forward.

Tigres also continued to pressure. Joffre Guzman would give Tigres, coached by newly named Mexican National team interim coach Ricardo Ferreti, the win with a right-footed shot in the 84^th minute. The Ecuadorian crossed his shot from right to left after beating Tijuana’s Carlos Guzman and bounced his low shot off the left post into the net.

The Xolos pressured late in the match looking for the equalizer with Henry Martin sent a half scissor kick off the crossbar and Arriola hit a shot off the left post, both in injury time. The final whistle blew seconds later. Tigres earned three points in the standings with the win while Tijuana stays at six after a possible 18 this season. Tijuana’s pair of wins has come on the road against Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul, the latter a 3-1 outing in Mexico City last week.

Club Tijuana will travel to face Monarcas Morelia in a Week 7 match at Estadio Jose Maria Morelos Saturday Aug. 29.

FINAL SCORE:

TIGRES 2, XOLOS 1

SCORING

60^th– Dayro Moreno- Tijuana

70^th –Jose Rivas –Tigres

84^th– Joffre Guzman -Tigres

Rosters:

Tijuana: 3. Javier Gandolfi, 7. Gabriel Hauche (Jose Cardenas 46^th), 8. Diego de Buen, 11. Henry Martin, 16. Michael Orozco, 17. Dayro Moreno (Paul Arriola 70^th), 18. Juan Arango (Carlos Guzman 75^th), 22. Juan Carlos Nuñez, 29. Rodrigo Salinas, 30. Leiton Jimenez, 33. Federico Vilar

Coach: Ruben Omar Romano

Tigres: 1. Nahuel Guzman, 2. Israel Jimenez, 6. Jorge Torres, 9. Rafael Sobis, 10. Andre-pierre Gignac, 13. Antonio Briseño, 18. Jose Torres, 19. Guido Pizarro, 20. Javier Aquino, 24. Jose Rivas, 25. Jurgen Damm

Coach: Ricardo Ferretti