Tijuana Xolos sign Jesus Gomez and Raul Zuniga ahead of 2024 Clausura
The Tijuana Xolos announced a pair of new signings ahead of the Liga MX 2024 Clausura season this Thursday, January 11.
The Aztec Canines officially announced the arrival of Jesus Gomez from Santos Laguna and Raul Zuniga from Queretaro.
Gomez is a 21-year-old center-back who has played for Atlas and Santos Laguna in Mexico and with Boavista in Portugal. The Mexican defender has a commanding presence coming in at 6-foot-2, and he will be fighting for a starting role with the border city team from the start of the season.
Gomez did not receive any playing time last season and most recently played in the Liga MX with Atlas in the 2023 Clausura season. At his young age, the Sonora, Mexico native is yet to find a consistent starting role with any club, but Club Tijuana presents a good opportunity to finally receive that playing time. Gomez has represented the Mexico national team in several different categories, including, most recently, the U-23 squad.
Zuniga is a 29-year-old striker who has been with Grupo Caliente (Xolos’ ownership group) since 2020, when he joined Dorados de Sinaloa.
“La Pantera” most recently played with Queretaro, where he participated in the past two seasons, scoring eight goals between the two campaigns. The most recent 2023 Apertura season was Zuniga’s best, as he scored six goals in just 12 games played.
Zuniga stands in at 5-foot-10 but has plenty of pace to him and a physical presence that can rival most Liga MX defenders. The Aztec Canines have a very reliable striker in Carlos Gonzalez, but last season, Lucas Cavallini failed to provide much depth off the bench for Miguel Herrera’s team. It will be interesting to see if Zuniga can provide that depth or even if he lands a starting role with the Prehistoric Dogs.
The Liga MX season starts this Saturday, January 13, for Club Tijuana, as the Border City Dogs face Club America at the Estadio Caliente.
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.