OLD RIVALRY

TIJUANA- Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente hosts a very familiar opponent Friday in a Week 17 match of the LIGA Bancomer MX-2014. The Xoloitzcuintles face Club Leon in the 2014 Apertura regular season finale.

Coach Daniel Guzman’s team did not reach the post season in this tournament but it has been hard at work this past couple of weeks during the FIFA week break, preparing for the “Panzas Verdes.”

Club Tijuana and Leon are old rivals since they both played in the LIGA de Ascenso, creating some memorable match ups. But perhaps the most memorable to Club Tijuana came during the 2012 Apertura. That’s when Club Tijuana came from behind to beat Leon in the semifinals to reach the championship final. Fidel Martinez, Duvier Riascos and Richard Ruiz scored for the Xoloitzcuintles in the second leg of the series to clinch a spot in the final.

Another important series between these two teams was the 2011 Clausura semifinal in the Liga de Ascenso. Club Tijuana also won the series 3-1 with an aggregate score with goals by Joshua Abrego, Luis Orozco and Alejandro Molina in the second leg. Both teams also faced each other in the 2007 quarterfinals with Leon winning the series 4-0.

Club Tijuana and Leon have met 18 times in official matches with Xoloitzcuintles with Leon leading the series 8-6-4.