Tijuana Xolos Copa MX 2018 Apertura Week 4 Recap: Xolos Get Second Consecutive Victory In Copa MX
Credit: Imago7/ Alejandro Gutiérrez Mora
Tijuana, Mexico
The Tijuana Xolos played their third game in the 2018 Apertura edition of the Copa MX on Wednesday, Aug. 15, against FC Juarez at the Estadio Caliente. The game turned out to be a night of firsts and debuts at the Mictlan as Club Tijuana secured three points with a comfortable 3-1 victory. The game was intense and exciting from the kickoff as both teams had a few opportunities in the first 30 minutes of play.
The Xolos finally opened the score in the 39th minute with a goal by Argentine defender Gustavo Canto. The goal came from a corner kick executed by Luis Chavez after a header by Erick Torres found Canto in front of the Juarez’ goalkeeper. The home team’s second goal of the match came just minutes after the first as Daniel Lopez made it a 2-0 scoreline in the 43rd minute.
The goal was via a header after a cross by Jesus Angulo at the edge of the penalty box. The Border City Dogs had a comfortable lead after the first 45 minutes, but did not stop there. In the 52nd minute, Jesus Angulo scored a goal of his own after a pass inside of the penalty box by Erick “El Cubo” Torres. The Xoloitzcuintles controlled the game after that goal and maintained a 3-0 lead for most of the clash.
In the 90th minute, Jhonatan Aranda scored a compensation goal for the away team with an outside-of-the-box shot. The final whistle blew at the Estadio Caliente and the Xolos picked up a comfortable 3-1 win against the Ascenso MX side. The Aztec Canines secured the three points from the game and improved to seven points in this tournament, which practically secures a spot in the knockout round.
Xolos’ Starting Lineup: Luis Michel, Gustavo Canto, Hiram Munoz, Luis Martinez, Osciel De La Cruz, Jesus Angulo (64’ Fabian Castillo), Luis Chavez (64’ Alejandro Guido), Luis Gamiz, Rubio Rubin (74’ Antonio Nava), Daniel Lopez, Erick Torres
Man of The Match: Jesus Angulo
“Canelo” did not play the entirety of the match, but he was one of the most impactful players on the pitch in his 64 minutes of play. Angulo scored the Xolos’ third goal of the match and managed to provide an assist in the home side’s second goal of the encounter as well. The 21-year-old winger has not had a lot of standout performances this season, but he certainly has potential, and it was a good sign that he was able to provide this type of input.
Main Talking Point: Firsts & Debuts
The three goals in the match were scored by Gustavo Canto, Jesus Angulo, and Daniel Lopez, who all scored their first goals with Club Tijuana. Canto scored his first goal in Mexican soccer and Lopez scored his first professional goal in a major competition. Alejandro Guido played his first game of the season, coming back from a surgery in the pubis. There were also a couple of players that debuted with the team. 20-year-old fullback Osciel De La Cruz made his professional debut while Fabian Castillo played his first game with the Xolos, and in Mexican soccer. De La Cruz had a fantastic game down the left flank, while Castillo looked very promising, specifically with his passing ability.
Francisco, 26, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego Loyal, San Diego Wave.
