Paul Arriola and Jose Alberto Garcia find the net for Xoloitzcuintles

TIJUANA (July 28, 2015)–Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles opened the 2015 Apertura version of the Copa MX with a 2-1 win against visiting Zacatepec Tuesday night at Estadio Caliente.

Chula Vista, Calif. native and United States youth national team player, Paul Arriola and Mexicali-born Jose Alberto Garcia, scored for the Xoloitzcuintles. Zacatepec’s Jesus Lara found the net for the visitors in the first leg of a Group 5 home-and-home series.

The Copa MX is a domestic competition between teams from Mexico’s top-flight league, the LIGA MX, and the Liga de Ascenso (Second Division). It is played midweek during the Mexican soccer summer through winter semester.

Club Tijuana took a 1-0 lead when Arriola, a Mater Dei High alumni, took a pass by Amando Moreno and blasted the ball into the roof of the net, just inside the right post. Zacatepec goalkeeper Juan Roldan stood no chance. Moreno sped past defenders in the area before he fed Arriola for the score in the 38^th minute. Moreno dribbled in from the left, taking defenders out of position.

The Xoloitzcuintles took a 2-0 lead in the 58^th minute after Garcia sent a header into the net just inside the right post.

Moreno again helped produce danger with his dribbling skills. He ran past two defenders on the left wing, entered the penalty box and had a powerful shot on goal that the goalkeeper punched away. Garcia out jumped defenders at the far post and headed in the ball on the ensuing corner kick.

Club Tijuana looked to manage the ball and clock with the two-goal lead as the visitors looked to push forward, looking for a goal that could cut the Xoloitzcuintles lead. It found that goal when Lara shot the ball past Club Tijuana Lajud after controlling a cross inside of the box.

Zacatepec pushed forward with more intensity after the goal but was not able to create much danger due to the Xoloitzcuintles defense containing the forwards and midfielders.

Club Tijuana will return to LIGA MX Friday night with its home opener against Dorados Sinaloa in Week 2 action. It will then travel to Zacatepec for the second leg of the Copa MX series.

FINAL SCORE:

XOLOS 2, ZACATEPEC 1 

SCORING
1-0: 38^th– Paul Arriola -Tijuana
1-1: 58^th -Jose Alberto Garcia- Tijuana
2-1: 77^th– Jesus Lara- Zacatepec

Rosters:

Tijuana: 4. Uriel Alvarez, 5. Elio Castro, 9. Alfredo Moreno, 14. Alejandro Guido, 19. Jose Garcia, 20. Paul Arriola, 25. Gibran Lajud, 27. Antonio Madueña, 31. Pedro Hernandez, 293. Amando Moreno, 296. Christian Torres, Coach: Rubén Omar Romano

Zacatepec: 4. Jose Garcia (Yellow 22nd), 6. Omar Mendoza, 8. Juan Orozco, 9. Hector Arrigo, 11. Josue Bustos, 27.Jose De la Tejera, 28. Juan Roldan, 29. Luis Menes, 33. Jorge Laguna, 34. Daniel Rendón, 114. Alan Vidal,

Coach: Martin Reyna