CELEBRATORY NIGHT AT ESTADIO CALIENTE

TIJUANA - Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente made its Clausura 2015 Copa MX debut with a 3-1 win at home against Second Division outfit Club Necaxa Wednesday night at the Estadio Caliente. 

Goals from Joe Corona, Henry Martin and Alejandro Guido led the Xoloitzcuintles to overcome an Alan Garcia goal and claim three points in this Group 3 match of the Copa MX. 

Tijuana dominated the majority of the match creating several goal-scoring opportunities against the visiting Necaxa goal. Despite the early pressure the Xoloitzcuintles went down by a goal in the 27th minute when Alan Garcia tapped in the ball after it had rebounded off the post of Girban Lajud’s goal. 

The Xoloitzcuintles got things started early with a Ricardo Da Silva shot on goal which took the opposing goalkeeper two tries to contain. Da Silva had been fed the pass after an Edgar Villegas dribble down the left hand side where he left a defender behind. 

Edgar Villegas had a shot on an open go from a tight angle in the 10th minute after Henry Martin rounded the goalkeeper and passed him the ball. The shot went over the crossbar. 

After the initial Xoloitzcuintles pressure, visiting Necaxa pushed up the field. In the 27th minute, a cross from the right was headed towards Girban Lajud’s goal, the ball bounced off the post and Alan Garcia was able to tap in the rebound. 

Da Silva sent Corona in on goal with a through-ball down the middle. Corona’s shot bounced off the crossbar and into the goal for the equalizer in the 44th minute to send the game to the break tied 1-1.  

Lajud come up big with a stnadout save for Club Tijuana in the second half, keeping the score at 1-1.  

The Xoloitzcuintles kept the pressure it had established in the first half and found the reward in the 72nd minute. Henry Martin picked up the ball from about 35 yards out and dribbled with strength past two defenders, rounded the goalkeeper and shot the ball into the open net to give Club Tijuana the 2-1 lead. 

Only two minutes later, second half sub Alejandro Guido gave Club Tijuana the two goal lead. Quick one touch passing in the midfield sent Guido in on goal and in front of the charging goalkeeper he sent the ball to the back of the net. 

Necaxa tried to look for another away goal they could use in the return leg for the extra-point. In the 87th minute, a penalty kick was whistled against the Xoloiitzcuintles. Club Tijuana goalkeeper Lajud came up with a diving save on the penalty shot to keep the score at 3-1. 

The next Copa MX match for the Xoloitzcuintles will be the return leg in Aguascalientes against Club Necaxa. The match will be Tuesday January 27th (5:00pm pacific).