HARD FOUGHT MATCH AT ESTADIO OMNILIFE
CD GUADALAJARA 2-0 CLUB TIJUANA (FINAL); COPA MX-2014 Apertura: Week 5; Third Series First Leg
GUADALAJARA, Mexico –Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente played to a 2-0 loss to host CD Guadalajara in a Week 5 COPA MX Group 3 match of the 2014 Apertura. It was the first match of a home-and-home series between both teams.
Jair Pereira gave Chivas a 1-0 lead when he sent a header into net off a corner kick in the 23rd minute, beating Club Tijuana goalkeeper Gibran Lajud. Pereira out-jumped his defender and got a clear shot on goal on the play. Giovani Hernandez scored the second goal for Chivas in the 74th minute when he sent a blast from outside the penalty area, bouncing inside the left post past a diving Lajud.
Chivas took advantage of Club Tijuana defensive mistakes on both scoring plays. Guadalajara pressured with an offense that featured a lot of ball movement in the second half. The Xoloitzcuntles maintained possession for a good part of the first half but Guadalajara was able to create a couple of dangerous plays on counter attacks, including one that lead to the corner kick that ultimately resulted in Guadalajara’s goals.
Club Tijuana nearly had a goal of his own late in the match when he poked at a bouncing ball in the area but he couldn’t get a clean shot as he slid towards goal.
Coach Daniel Guzman sent Lajud as his starting goalkeeper, team captain Oliver Ortiz, Elio Castro, Luis Garcia and Alejandro Molina as his defenders. Alejandro Guido, Javeir Salas, Yair Arboleda and Luis Chavez started at midfield. Henry Martin and Jose Alberto Garcia were the strikers. Amando Moreno (53rd minute), Edgar Villegas (62nd) and John Requejo (73rd) came on as second half substitutes.
The Xoloitzcuintles have one match left in the group stage as it sits with six points in the standings and a 1-2-2 record. Coach Daniel Guzman’s squad, who fielded mostly players from the Under-20 team, will close out COPA MX group play Tuesday Sept. 24th at Estadio Caliente.
Club Tijuana will also return to LIGA MX play Friday Sept. 19 when it hosts Santos Laguna at Estadio Caliente.
