XOLOITZCUINTLES ADD A POINT IN VERACRUZ

VERACRUZ, Mexico- Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente earned a point in the standings after playing to a 1-1 draw against host Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz Saturday in a LIGA Bancomer MX-2014 Clausura Week 9 match at Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes.

 Liber Quiñones scored in the 81^st minute for Veracruz to tie the match after Cristian Pellerano gave the Xoloitzcuintles a 1-0 lead six minutes into the game. Club Tijuana, who finished with 10 men, took the early lead when Pellerano sent in a bouncing, rolling ball into the back of the net off a Fernando Arce pass and Herculez Gomez header.

Pellerano sent in his goal on a left-footed shot after his first attempt was blocked by a Veracruz defender. Gomez helped set up the scoring play by sending Arce’s floater into the penalty area back to Pellerano via a header. Pellerano didn’t hesitate to send a pair of consecutive shots, ultimately finding the net. Both teams spent most of the first half looking to create danger as the Xoloitzcuintles took the lead into halftime.

The Xoloitzcuintles (3-4-2, 11 points) played to control the ball as Veracruz pressured with its attack for most of the second half. It wasn’t until Pellerano was sent off with his double yellow card, that Veracruz (1-5-3, 6 points), was able to send in the game-tying goal. Pellerano was sent off in the 78^th minute.

Quiñones scored three minutes later to tie the match. Quiñones’ goal came off an Angel Reyna floating pass into the area where Quiñones sent his shot between the legs of Club Tijuana goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo into the net. Quiñones beat the Xoloitzcuintles defense on the play sending the ball in from near the left post across the six-yard box. The Xoloitzcuintles thought it had taken the lead in injury time when Hernan Pellerano, Cristian Pellerano’s younger brother, poked a Martinez free kick into the net but the goal was disallowed. The younger Pellerano was whistled offsides on the play.

Venezuelan-born Club Tijuana coach Cesar Farias had made his three substitutions by the time Pellerano was sent off and Quiñones scored. Farias used Saucedo at goal, Javier Gandolfi, Juan Carlos Nuñez, Gregory Garza and the younger Pellerano as the starting defenders. Arce, who was replaced by Joe Corona in the first half, Javier Guemez and the older Pellerano were the midfielders. Dario Benedetto, Gomez and Martinez were the forwards. Richard Ruiz came on for Benedetto and Jaimen Ayovi made his Club Tijuana debut coming on for Gomez in the second half.

The Xoloitzcuintles return to Tijuana to host Club Deportivo Guadalajara Friday March 7 in a Week 10 match at Estadio Caliente(7:30 p.m. Pacific).