Under-17 squad in playoff form

TIJUANA - Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente’s Under-17 team defeated Club Leon U17 by 3-0 Friday at Estadio Caliente in Week 17 action of the Apertura 2014 season of Liga MX. Julian Barajas, Juan Rodriguez and Ruben Gonzalez scored for the Xoloitzcuintles.

The match was a close one in the opening minutes before the Xoloitzcuintles opened up the scoring. The visiting Leon pressured the Xoloitzcuintles and pushed the home team into its own territory. Leon appeared to have taken the lead in the seventh minute but a goal sent in via a header was ruled offsides. Club Tijuana was able to shake off the pressure 15 minutes after that and started to push forward.

In the 21st minute, Jesus Angulo took off down the right wing and found Barajas with a short pass at the edge of the box. Barajas controlled and blasted a shot into the roof of the net to open the score.

For the second half the Xoloitzcuintles came out hungry for more goals and 29 seconds in Jesus Angulo had a powerful shot from inside of the box, the ball went straight to where the Leon goalkeeper was standing.

The Xoloitzcuintles doubled their lead in the 60th minute when second half sub Cesar Crespo gave a pass to Juan Rodriguez. Rodriguez took the ball and dribbled by two defenders plus the goalkeeper and shot the ball into the far post of the open net.

With the two-goal lead, Club Tijuana controlled the ball and pace late in the game. Second half sub Ruben Gonzalez tried his luck with a long-range shot that found a rebound off of a Leon defender to go into the net for the third goal.

Next up for the young Xoloitzcuintles will be the Apertura 2014 playoffs which start next week.

Club Tijuana will host the first leg at the Estadio Caliente either Wednesday or Thursday depending on the rival.