Tijuana Xolos 2018 Apertura Copa MX Week 1 Preview: Border City Derby Pt.1
Credit: Imago7/Jorge Barajas
Game: FC Juarez vs Tijuana Xolos
When: Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Where: Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Time: 7:00 P.M PST
Border cities are the beautiful mix of two cultures that blend into one and embody an entire area.
Some prime examples are cities like San Diego, Tijuana, El Paso and Juarez that blend the cultures of Mexico and the United States to its people. This Wednesday, July 25, two Mexican soccer teams will face off in a game that will be dubbed as the “Border City Derby” when Club Tijuana plays FC Juarez.
The Game will not be in the Liga MX as Juarez currently plays in the second-tier division, but instead will be part of the Copa MX competition where teams from the Liga MX and Ascenso MX can clash. The game is set to be played at the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez and should be an intense duel.
The Tijuana Xolos are coming off a 2-1 win against Chivas de Guadalajara in the Liga MX and with an important game against Tigres UANL coming up this weekend manager Diego Cocca will likely experiment with his lineup. Still, the Xoloitzcuintles should have a very intriguing and solid team with players like Rubio Rubin, Eryc Castillo, Miller Bolanos and Alejandro Guido possibly in the starting 11.
FC Juarez is also coming off a win as the border city side defeated Alebrijes de Oaxaca in Week 1 of the Ascenso MX. Los Bravos have a decent team that includes some players that recently played in the Liga MX like Jonathan Lacerda, Enrique Palos, Edy Brambila and ex-Xolo’ Kevin Gutierrez. The team is also in good hands with Gabriel Caballero as the manager, who won Mexico’s second-tier league last season with Tapachula. Juarez will have the home-field advantage and could trouble the Xoloitzcuintles in what could be a hard-fought clash.
Players to Watch
Miller Bolanos
The Ecuadorian forward is currently serving a two-match ban in the Liga MX and is almost guaranteed to start in this game to keep his form. Bolanos scored five goals last season for Club Tijuana and was one of the team’s best players going forward. The 28-year-old has speed, flair and a decent shot on him, which can make him a headache to defenders in the Mexican league. Bolanos was not available to play against Chivas last weekend and it will be exciting to see his debut with the Xolos this season.
Leandro Carrijo
Gabriel Caballero is also likely to experiment with his lineup for this game and a very interesting player that could feature is Leandro Carrijo. The Brazilian striker did not start against Oaxaca over the weekend and will be fresh for this match. The 32-year-old has been a key player for FC Juarez over the years as he has a total of 46 goals in all competitions with Los Bravos since joining the team back in 2015.
Prediction
Juarez will have the home turf on its side while Club Tijuana clearly has the better team, but it should prove to be a very hard-fought match. EVT Predicts that the Xolos will come away with a narrow 2-1 win at the Olimpico Benito Juarez to start off the Copa MX with three points.
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.