Xolos lose ruling, deducted three points from Puebla game
Credit: Xolos
On Sept.1, 2023, the Tijuana Xolos lost 3-0 to Puebla away from home but ended up with the three points from the match thanks to a Liga MX ruling. Club Tijuana made an appeal to the Liga MX after the game, claiming that Puebla’s assistant coach, Luis Miguel Noriega, was not registered with the league.
The Aztec Canines came away with a 1-0 win from that game thanks to the ruling, giving the border city team their only away win of the season. However, since the first day of that appeal, Puebla had been fighting the decision and took the case outside of the Liga MX to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport).
CAS has finally made a decision and has now revered the Liga MX’s ruling and sided with Puebla, giving them the 3-0 win in the match. Puebla had submitted all of the proper paperwork to register Luis Miguel Noriega, but league referees failed to register him.
The decision has major repercussions for Club Tijuana’s season, now in 10th place with 20 points after the points deduction. The Xoloitzcuintles were previously in seventh place with 23 points with a foot in the door in the Liga MX playoffs.
The last regular game of the season for Xolos will be played this Friday, Nov. 10, at the Estadio Caliente against Pachuca. The match was already a must-win encounter, but now it is especially true with the risk of missing out on the playoffs even with a win from the match.
The 23 points gained with a win for Club Tijuana with a win over Pachuca does not guarantee anything in terms of the playoffs. The Border City Dogs are now in danger of missing out on the Liga MX playoffs for an eighth consecutive season, which is by far the longest streak in the league.
Xolos away struggles have been a plague all season for the Xoloitzcuintles, and this significant loss against Puebla was not even winnable via a technical ruling.
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.