Xoloitzcuintles score three in second half
TIJUANA –Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente earned its first win under coach Daniel Guzman a 4-1 victory against visiting Santos Laguna Friday night in a Week 9 match of the LIGA Bancomer MX-2014 Apertura at Estadio Caliente.
The Xoloitzcuintles scored in the first half and added three more in the second for its first win since Week 5 when it beat Jaguares de Chiapas 2-1.
Alfredo Moreno scored twice (3rd minute and 48th), Dario Benedetto (54th) scored another and Dayro Moreno (90+) closed off the scoring for Club Tijuana, giving the Xoloitzcuintles its first home win under head coach Daniel Guzman. Club Tijuana earns three more points, giving the team 11 for the season and a 2-2-5 record. Juan Rodriguez sent one in for visiting Santos, who came into the match as the No. 3 team in the standings.
“I didn’t expect to win like this,” Guzman said. “I missed having this feeling, feeling the energy in the stadium. This is a reflection of what these players have done in practice. When I got here, I said I’d come here and try to have people respect this team’s history. I will never forget this night.”
Santos tied the match in the 36th minute when he converted a penalty kick. Gregory Garza was whistled for a foul in the penalty area as he slid and took the ball away from Carlos Quintero. But the “Guerreros” could not find a rhythm against a reluctant and fiery Club Tijuana. The Xoloitzcuintles kept moving the ball through open spaces and creating a handful of combination passes that eventually translated into quick strikes off counter attacks.
One of those attacks included Alfredo Moreno, the Argentine striker scoring his second of the night. He didn’t waste any time doing so. He sent his second goal of the night three minutes into the second half. He sprinted into the area chasing a volley by Benedetto from about midfield. Alfredo Moreno stayed onside and sent a right-footed shot into the back of the net with a Santos defender riding on his side.
Alfredo Moreno returned the favor in the 54th minute when he fed Benedetto with a similar pass but from a shorter distance. Benedetto sprinted away from defenders into the penalty area and sent a blast from right to left, beating Sanchez for a 3-1 lead. Dayro Moreno closed off the scoring in injury time when he beat his defender on a one-on-one play and buried a blast into the net off a pass from beyond the midfield line.
Guzman is 1-0-1 after tying 1-1 at Pachuca last week in his Xoloitzcuintles debut. Against Santos, the coach known as “Travieso,” sent Cirilo Saucedo as his starting goalkeeper. Team captain Javeir Gandolfi, Hernan Pellerano, Juan Carlos Nuñez and Garza were his starting defenders. Javier Guemez Cristian Pellerano, Joe Corona and Richard Ruiz were the midfielders while both Morenos were the forwards.
The Xoloitzcuintles will now return to COPA MX action Wednesday Sept. 24 when it hosts CD Guadalajara at Estadio Caliente in the final Group 3 match of the tournament.
Club Tijuana will then travel to Veracruz for a Week 10 match of the LIGA MX against Tiburones Rojos Friday Sept. 26 at Estadio Caliente.
SCORING
3rd -A. Moreno (TIJ)
36th- Hernandez (SAN)
48th -A. Moreno (TIJ)
54th – D. Benedetto (TIJ)
90+ – D. Moreno (TIJ)
NEXT MATCH
COPA MX: Wednesday Sept. 24 vs. CD Guadalajara 7 p.m. (Pacific)
LIGA MX: Friday Sept. 26 at Veracruz 5 p.m. (Pacific)