TIJUANA – Dayro Moreno went from being a hero to a villain.
The Colombian forward who has scored five times this season had at his feet the goal that would have clinched the third consecutive win for the Xolos at home but could not land it.
The player had entered the game Sunday against San Luis in the second half to applause at Caliente Stadium with the mandate to do what he knows how to do.
At minute 87, referee Paul Delgadillo issued the maximum penalty, after Michael Orozco had pulled on Xolos forward Mauro Gerk in the area.
For a penalty kick, Moreno took the ball the required eleven steps and aimed it at the right side of San Luis goalkeeper Óscar "Conejo" Pérez. But his kick was wide of the post, failing to nail what would have been the winning goal.
Club Xoloitzcuintles and San Luis ended the match in a 0-0 tie.
There was a bit of good news for Xolos fans: After 16 weeks of play, Sunday's tie enabled the Xolos to leave last place in "tabla de descenso." Teams in that spot get demoted to the second division. The last place is now held by Estudiantes Tecos, who lost Sunday to Cruz Azul.
For his part, Antonio Mohamed remains unbeaten. Since he took over as coach in week 10, Tijuana has not lost a match.
The Xolos will close their first tournament in the premier First Division on Sunday, when they visit Pumas of UNAM, one of Mexico's storied teams.
Alexandra.mendoza@sandiegored.com
