The Tijuana Xolos played their fifth home game of the Liga MX Clausura 2026 season. The Border City Dogs hosted Pumas UNAM at the Estadio Caliente this Friday, February 27.

A vibrant crowd filled the Mictlan on this warm night in the border city. Club Tijuana was heading into this match on a massive 16-game unbeaten run at home.

#Xolos host Pumas UNAM at the Estadio Caliente. Team that #SDFC eliminated in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/CmMy9emyli

— Francisco Velasco (@FranciscoEfV) February 28, 2026

Pumas UNAM was heading into this match undefeated in league play in this tournament. While both teams had some impressive records, there were several doubts about both sides heading into this game.

Sebastian Abreu made only one change to the starting 11 that was used against Mazatlan FC. Domingo Blanco came in for Adonis Preciado, who did not even appear on the bench for this match. Abreu confirmed after the match that this was due to “muscle fatigue”.

Franck Boya returned to the bench after a long injury spell that kept him off the pitch since late October of last year.

The game flow was clear from the initial whistle as the visitors controlled possession heavily throughout the clash. The Mexico City team held 70 percent possession in the game, but Xolos managed to play a sturdy game in the backline.

Club Tijuana struck first in the 40th minute of the match when Ramiro Arciga opened the scoring. Kevin Castaneda started the scoring play with a pass to Arciga on a free kick. Arciga went on to strike the ball directly, and the ball landed in the back of the net with the help of a deflection.

¡LO EMPATA PUMAS! 🐾⚽🔥
Juninho aprovecha el rebote#FridayEnTUDN pic.twitter.com/bVcUlI4swv

— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) February 28, 2026

Pumas responded almost immediately in stoppage time with a goal by Brazilian forward Juninho. Robert Morales fired a shot that was deflected by Antonio Rodriguez, and Juninho was there on the bounce to finish the opportunity.

Both teams had more clear-cut scoring chances in the opening 45 minutes, in what was a gritty and hard-fought second half. Club Tijuana nearly ended up with the three points in one of the final plays of the game.

Alejandro Gomez struck the sphere, but Keylor Navas stopped the ball directly in front of the net. This stop was crucial to the final outcome and really was a defining save from the veteran goalkeeper.

The game ended in a deadlock in which seemed like an underwhelming result for the home side. The problem with this result is that while the Xoloitzcuintles are undefeated at home and have only lost one game in the season, the club has now tied six games out of eight played.

The Aztec Canines have also struggled massively for offensive production, scoring more than a goal in just two out of eight games this season.

Club Tijuana will now face Atlas away from home before returning home and hosting Santos Laguna on March 8. The Border City Dogs are on a 17-game undefeated streak at home now, but will need to find ways to score and win in the final half of the tournament.

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.