Tijuana Xolos Week 3 Copa MX Preview: Xolos face Correcaminos UAT at Estadio Caliente
Game: Tijuana Xolos vs Correcaminos UAT
When: Tuesday Jan. 31
Time: 7:00 P.M. PST
Where: Estadio Caliente
TV: ESPN Deportes
Tijuana Xolos
After a bye in week two of the Copa Corona MX, the Tijuana Xolos will resume their campaign in week three of the competition, facing second division, Correcaminos UAT, this Tuesday.
The Xolos started the #XUnaToneladaDeAyuda campaign for this game in which they will give fans a ticket to the match for a kilo of grains to help people in need. Hopefully, karma strikes for Miguel Herrera’s side and the Xolos can take their first three points of the tournament in this game. After their disappointing loss to Sonora in the first match of the competition, this game is a must win for Club Tijuana.
Miguel Herrera and the Xolos must not lose this game if they wish to advance to the knockout stages of the Copa MX. A decent crowd is expected because of the campaign and because the tickets are fairly inexpensive at only 100 pesos( 5$ USD) for general admission. The Aztec Dogs are undefeated at home this season. Hopefully, that trend can continue this Tuesday against Correcaminos UAT.
Correcaminos UAT
The team from the University of Tamaulipas is having a poor campaign in the Ascenso MX season, only accumulating four points after five games. They would, however, have an impressive start to the Copa MX tournament, beating Sonora 3-2 last week. Jaime Ordiales’ squad does feature former Liga MX players like Las Vegas-born Ricardo Bocanegra, former Mexico U 17 star Ever Guzman, and former Mexican National team player Vicente Matias Vuoso. The team from Tamaulipas will have a tough task at the Estadio Caliente and will count on their more experienced players to get them a favorable result.
Players to Watch
Juan Martin Lucero
The Argentine striker has been used primarily off the bench for Miguel Herrera, so it looks promising that he will be featured in Copa MX games. So far in the little playing time he has received, the former Malaysian league player has looked solid, coming close to scoring on a few occasions. Lucero is definitely more of a target man who can find the right position to be in to finish off opportunities. Hopefully he can achieve his first goal with the Xolos on Tuesday night.
Jorge Ortiz
The Xolos have made a pair of new signings recently in Jorge Ortiz and Matias Pisano. While the situation with Pisano is still unclear, Jorge Ortiz is set to debut this Tuesday, as Miguel Herrera did confirm it in a press conference earlier in the week. The 32-year-old midfielder has played professionally since 2004 with various Argentine clubs and also with Swedish club, AIK. Ortiz is more of a holding midfield player who can create opportunities with his passing ability. It will be interesting to see how the veteran midfielder can adapt with his new teammates and with Mexican soccer in general.
Vicente Matias Vuoso
Vuoso was on the bench for Jamie Ordiales in the Correcaminos encounter against Sonora last week, but there is a chance he will play this Tuesday. Vicente Matias Vuoso was once among the most prolific strikers in the Liga MX, even making the Mexican National soccer team at various points in his career. The 35-year-old now is in a completely different stage of his career and may be nearing the end of it, but he can still finish opportunities if given the chance to play. The Argentine-born striker has also had success in the Estadio Caliente, scoring three goals in the Xolos home. His most recent goal came in 2014 as a member of Chipas. A year earlier in 2013, Vuoso had a spectacular game against Tijuana as a member of Atlas, scoring two goals and obtaining an assist. While one goal was via a penalty, the other one was a magnificent bicycle kick. While Vuoso may not even start the game at Estadio Caliente, it will still be fun to see what the veteran striker can do against the Xolos
The Verdict
The Xolos have to win this game against this second division side. In week one of the competition, Tijuana already fell to Sonora. The Xolos cannot afford to fall to a second division side once again if they wish to advance in this Copa MX campaign. The prediction for the match is a comfortable 3-1 result for Tijuana with two goals from Juan Martin Lucero and a goal from veteran Juan Carlos Medina. The goal for the Correcaminos will, of course, be by Vicente Matias Vuoso. Fuerza Tijuas!
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.