Tijuana Xolos Liga MX 2019 Apertura Recap: Xolos get back on track with 2-0 win vs Veracruz
Tijuana, Mexico
The Tijuana Xolos played their Liga MX 2019 Apertura Week 15 matchup this Friday, Oct. 25, at the Estadio Caliente against Veracruz. Club Tijuana was coming off a crushing 4-1 defeat in Week 14 but were the heavy favorites in this match against a very weak Veracruz team.
The Xolos did come out on top on Friday night with a 2-0 victory, but the win did not come as easy as the scoreline may suggest. Kevin Balanta, Camilo Sanvezzo, and Ariel Nahuelpan missed the last game due to a suspension, but all three players immediately were plugged into the Xolos’ starting XI.
The first half of the clash ended scoreless at the Mictlan, as both teams missed a few key scoring opportunities. The first goal of the night came until the 55th minute as Leonel Miranda scored from the penalty spot to give Tijuana a 1-0 lead.
Oscar Pareja made his first substitution of the match in the 66th minute as Jorge Rojas came in for Camilo Sanvezzo. The second goal of the night came in the 76th minute as a pass by Vladimir Lorona found Ariel Nahuelpan inside of the penalty box, who buried it past Veracruz keeper Sebastian Jurado.
Pareja’s second change came in the 81st minute as Mauro Lainez was subbed out for Ignacio Rivero. The final substitution came in the 86th minute as Erick Torres replaced Ariel Nahuelpan, and the Xolos were able to hold onto the 2-0 lead by the final whistle.
Veracruz was very orderly throughout the game and played very well defensively as the Xolos struggled to score in this match. However, the Xolos also played well defensively as goalkeeper Gibran Lajud also had a solid game with a couple of nice saves.
The Xolos improved to eighth place in the league table, now back in a playoff spot after suffering a tough loss last week. The Aztec Canines only have one loss in their previous five games and inclusively have three wins in this run as the Xoloitzcuintles are living a significant moment in the season. The Xoloitzcuintles will play Chivas de Guadalajara away from home next Wednesday as the border city side will have two consecutive road games.
Xolos’ Lineup: Gibran Lajud, Vladimir Lorona, Jordan Silva, Julian Velazquez, Aldo Cruz, Kevin Balanta, Leonel Miranda, Mauro Lainez (81′ Ignacio Rivero), Miller Bolanos, Camilo Sanvezzo (66′ Jorge Rojas), Ariel Nahuelpan (86′ Erick Torres)
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.