The Tijuana Xolos played their last home game in the Liga MX 2025 Clausura season this Thursday, April 10. With not much to play for, a great game was not expected between Club Tijuana and Atletico de San Luis.

Cirilo Saucedo only made one change to his starting 11 as Alan Vega came in for San Diego native Joe Corona in this match. The Xoloitzcuintles were coming off a 2-1 loss to Necaxa at home and were at least looking for a positive result for the home fans.

Lowest announced attendance of the year for #Xolos tonight: 12,333 spectators.@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/eLP5D04qhn

— Francisco Velasco (@FranciscoEfV) April 11, 2025

It was a poor attendance of 12,333 spectators for the home finale in what has been a very poor and bleak season for Club Tijuana. The energy was not there at the Mictlan and the energy was not really present in the first half of play.

San Luis opened the scoring when Vitinho put the ball in the back of the net with a shot from outside the box. The scoring play was quite odd as Vitinho received the ball off a deflection and fired a shot from the penalty arc.

The visitors controlled possession, but Xolos consistently attacked Andres Sanchez’s net. In the 35th minute, Raul Zuniga tied the game up via a spectacular bicycle kick goal from inside of the penalty area.

Efrain Alvarez launched the sphere into the box, and Zuniga pulled off the magic to tie the score. This was Zuniga’s ninth goal of the season, in what has been one of the few bright spots this season. Manager Cirilo Saucedo labeled Zuniga’s efforts this season as one of the few “salvageable” things from the season.

While both goals were actually quite impressive, the game itself was not the best in the opening 45 minutes.

Raul Zuñiga’s bicycle kick goal for #Xolos. @EVT_News pic.twitter.com/4SiEb8XOxc

— Francisco Velasco (@FranciscoEfV) April 11, 2025

The second half did not see much improvement in play, with Efrain Alvarez and Gilberto Mora Jr. exiting the game at halftime. Without its main playmakers, Club Tijuana managed to score in the 49th minute via a long-range strike by Kevin Castaneda.

San Luis kept controlling possession heavily in the second half with 76 percent of the sphere. However, the visitors failed to generate much offensive play, with just a shot on target in the second half.

Without much of the ball, Club Tijuana was much more effective in front of the net, and this resulted in this 2-1 victory. Joe Corona, Aaron Mejia, and Ramiro Franco came on to try and maintain the lead, and these changes were effective, with the Border City Dogs coming out on top.

In eight home games this season, the Aztec Canines won just three games at the Mictlan in a very disappointing campaign. Home success was a key factor to Xolos’ success last season, and now the home struggles were a major factor in Tijuana’s downfall.

After the successful season last year with Juan Carlos Osorio at the helm, everything changed this season. The new signings that were brought in failed to make a significant positive impact, while players like Christian Rivera and Emanuel Reynoso were missed.

With just two away games left to close out the season, Xolos has 13 points, and playoff chances are nearly impossible.

Francisco Velasco

Francisco, 28, 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 FC, San Diego Wave. I have covered Liga MX, MLS, Mexico National Team, USWNT, Copa América and European clubs like Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.