It was long overdue.
Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles needed a break. The Xolos were looking for any opportunity, any fragment of fortune they could get to muster a win.
After all, the club had endured seven-straight games without a win.
That chance appeared to be coming Saturday night. It didn't happen.
Tijuana could not catch that much needed break and played to a 2-2 draw against host Atlas at Estadio Jalisco after coming from behind to take a 2-1 lead.
It was a familiar moment for the Xolos when referee Juan Medrano whistled a penalty kick in favor of Atlas in injury time as the match appeared to be heading to an end.
Flavio Santos converted the penalty kick to tie the match and send the Xolos back to Tijuana with only one more point when they thought they had secured three more. Instead, coach Antonio Mohamed's squad will have to settle for nine points in 12 games and a second-to-last place in the standings.
Saturday's match paired the No. 17 and No. 18 teams in the 18-team league standings. Both clubs are fighting to avoid relegation from Mexico's top circuit. Add another wasted chance to gain ground on Atlas in the relegation percentage standings for Tijuana.
Xolos players argued after the match that the referee should have not whistled a foul in the area for a dangerous high kick, which led to the penalty kick.
Tijuana had taken the 2-1 lead after Mauricio Gerk redirected a Fernando Arce shot from just outside the box with his chest. Arce's shot appeared to be heading wide of Atlas' left post when Gerk got enough of it to send it past Atlas goalkeeper Jose Canales in the 81st minute.
Jose Sand tied the match at 1-1 in the 66th minute via a header on a pass from Ismael Iñiguez from right to left into the penalty area.
Both of Tijuana's goals came against a shorthanded Atlas. Hugo Rodríguez was ejected in the 61st minute for accumulating two yellow cards.
Atlas (1-7-4, seven points) took a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute when Ricardo Jiménez out jumped Sand, Tijuana's striker, and sent the ball via a header to the lower right corner of the net.
Then the Xolos (1-5-6) caught a break. Atlas had an ejection. Tijuana's fortunes were turning. So the Xolos thought. It was another match filled with mistakes and questionable penalty calls.
Atlas' first goal came off a corner kick that perhaps should have never happened. Xolos goalkeeper Adrian Zermeño tried to catch a ball that was clearly heading out of bounds through the goaline, only to let it slip through his hands. It gave Atlas the corner kick.
Zermeño started in place of the injured Cirilo Saucedo, who complained of pain from the lingering effects of an injury he suffered in practice earlier this week.
The Xolos were also with star striker Dayro Moreno and midfielder Egidio Arevalo. Both were with their respective national teams, Colombia and Uruguay.
The four second-half goals maybe helped fans forget the first 45 minutes of play.
Both clubs walked off the field at halftime to jeers from the mostly empty stadium.
And fans had reason to boo.
Scoring opportunities were scarce. Both teams spent the first half failing to complete passes and having trouble opening any space for a legitimate attack.
The Xolos had perhaps the most dangerous play. Forward Raúl Enriquez sent a floating shot that looked more like a centered pass into the area. The shot was slapped away by Canales, Atlass goalkeeper.
Atlas thought they had scored when Hugo Rodríguez sent a header via free kick into the back of the net past Zermeño in the 38th minute. The play was annulled when Rodríguez and three teammates were whistled offsides.
But that play was not as controversial as the late penalty call on the Xolos.
Tijuana fans will argue against it. The Atlas faithful will take it.
Time will tell how this outcome will affect both teams' chances of staying in the first division.
For now, the Xolos will focus on their remaining five games of the tournament as they face Pachuca at home next week. Atlante, Jaguares, San Luis and Pumas remain on Tijuana's schedule.
ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com
