Edgar Villegas scores for Xoloitzcuintles in friendly match against MLS side
SANDY, Utah- Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente once again crossed the border to play in the United States in a 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer Tuesday night in a friendly match at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Edgar Villegas scored for the Xoloitzcuintles while Luis Gil sent in the late equalizer for the home team. Villegas gave Club Tijuana the 1-0 lead in the 77th minute. He bent a shot into the upper-right corner past Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Lalo Fernandez.
Real Salt Lake tied the match in the 85th minute when Gil brought down a ball and spun into the Xoloitzcuintles penalty area from left to right before he curved his shot to the left of a diving Gibran Lajud, Club Tijuana’s goalkeeper.
Coach Cesar Farias’ team came out pressuring up field in the second half after playing to a scoreless first half that included Real Salt Lake sending its lines up field. It was the Xoloitzcuintles who sent a handful of shots in the second half, missing the target. That included shots by Elio Castro and Alejandro Molina.
Club Tijuana appeared to be headed to a win in its first match against the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup champion before Gil sent his strike.
Farias sent in Henry Martin, Paul Arriola, Alejandro Guido, Alfredo Moreno, Oliver Ortiz, John Requejo, Javier Salas, Castro, Villegas, Molina and Lajud as his starting 11. Fernando Arce Jr., Luis Chavez and Jose Alberto Garcia were second half substitutes.
The Xoloitzcuintles spent most of the first half defending a Real Salt Lake team that came out moving the ball up field taking a handful of shots. Club Tijuana goalkeeper Lajud made a couple of standout saves to keep the match scoreless. Club Tijuana looked for counter attacks, trying to get behind the Real Salt Lake defense on speedy plays.
The Xoloitzcuintles came into the match for the mid week affair between teams with championship pedigrees. Real Salt Lake won the MLS Cup in 2009 and has competed in international tournaments, including the CONCACAF Champions League. It was the sixth time Club Tijuana, the LIGA MX 2012 Apertura champion, met a team from Major League Soccer in all competitions. The Xoloitzcuintles have faced the L.A. Galaxy four times (two official and two exhibition) and Chivas USA, also in a friendly. The Xoloitzcuintles will now return to LIGA Bancomer MX-2014 Apertura action with a Week 5 match against Jaguares de Chiapas Friday Aug. 15 at Estadio Caliente.
SCORING:
77th – Villegas (TIJ)
85th- Gil (RSL)
NEXT MATCH:
LIGA Bancomer MX- vs. Jaguares de Chiapas, Week 5 at Estadio Caliente 7:30 p.m. Pacific