The Tijuana Xolos played their final game of the Liga MX 2023 Clausura season this Saturday, April 29, against Puebla. The Aztec Canines ended their uninspiring campaign with a disappointing 5-2 loss to Puebla to officially end their playoff aspirations this season.

The game was set to be a hard-fought match as both teams needed the win to try and make the Liga MX playoffs, but it was anything but that as Club Tijuana was dominated in this clash. Miguel Herrera once again made changes to his starting lineup as the Mexican manager was unable to find a consistent starting 11 this season.

This was especially exemplified with the inclusion of Everardo Rubio, who played his first game of the 2023 Clausura season. Xolos lacked any bit of consistency in this Clausura campaign, and even the manager struggled to figure out who his best options were.

The first goal of the game came just 13 minutes into the encounter as Federico Mancuello scored a fantastic goal from range to beat Antonio Rodriguez. Mancuello himself tied the game in the 25th minute as he scored a comical own goal in the 25th minute to make it a 1-1 game.

The tie did not last at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc as Diego De Buen scored in the 32nd minute to give Puebla back the lead. The first half ended with Puebla having a 2-1 lead, but with 11 total shots and five on target for the home team, it was more than evident that La Franja was set to score more goals in the match.

1o minutes into the second half, Guillermo Martinez made it a 3-1 game at the Cuauhtemoc off a potent header from a corner kick. Martinez scored his second of the night just a few minutes after his first in the 61st minute as he capitalized a perfect finish inside of the penalty box.

With the 4-1 deficit, Club Tijuana was able to score a consolation goal in the 68th minute as Braian Romero made it a 4-2 scoreline. The joy of scoring for Romero was really never seen, considering the circumstances, and Puebla still managed to score another goal before the final whistle as Martin Barragan scored from the penalty spot in the 77th minute.

The game ended 5-2 in Puebla’s favor as Los Camoteros completely dominated the Border City Dogs with 25 total shots in the match and 56 percent possession. Xolos’ last playoff push became just another typical away game nightmare for Miguel Herrera and company. At the time of writing, the Xoloitzcuintles are in 15th place with 16 points, as this was a very forgettable season in the border city.

All that is left is to see what changed Miguel Herrera and Club Tijuana’s front office make for next season as a total revamp of the squad is expected.

Francisco Velasco

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.