Extending the postseason run could be a daunting task against a Monterrey team that has been almost perfect at home with a 7-0-2 record and has not been shutout in 20 games.
Monterrey showed composure and endured a flurry of Xolos shots in the first half.
Tijuana's Joe Corona, Duvier Riascos and Egidio Arevalo all had scoring chances early in the match. Monterrey even helped the Xolos when a Fernando Arce's free kick in the 14th minute deflected off a Rayados defender and hit the right post.
Even defender Richard Ruiz, who was sent off in the 75th minute after a second yellow card, took a shot from about 30 yards out in the 43rd minute but couldn't find the net.
Monterrey had taken a 1-0 lead by then after Zavala's goal via a header off a Cesar Delgado corner kick. Zavala's shot beat Saucedo to a wide open left post. Saucedo dove after the ball but was late. The play brought back painful memories from the Xolos of the previous tournament under fired coach Joaquin del Olmo.
Tijuana often was the dominant team with several scoring chances wasted while giving up soft goals. That was when the Xolos was trying to prove it belonged in the Mexican Primera Division and the playoffs were a distant goal. That was before Mohammed took over nine games into the Apertura tournament last summer.
The Xolos did not have the league's defense back then. It was not the defense that gave up only 11 goals in 17 games as it did this tournament.
On Wednesday, Tijuana was just another team that avoided relegation losing to one of Mexico's top teams in recent history. The team that sparked life to a city with hopes of extending an unprecedented run into the post season.
And Tijuana can, in part, thank Reyna.
He gave Monterrey a 2-0 lead five minutes into the second half. He volleyed a shot over Xolos defenders and over the extended arms of Xolos goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo into the left wall of the net.
Humberto Suazo fed a pass to a wide open Reyna near the top of the half circle. Reyna didn't waste any time and buried his shot.
The play silenced the crowd who watched the Xolos desperately try to score a consolation goal and close the gap in the aggregate score.
The crowd came back to life after Ruiz' goal but it was not enough. They tossed cups with whatever was left of their beer into the night sky, thankful that its team did not lose 5-0.
At least that's what it could have been had Saucedo not slapped away a handful of Monterrey shots late in the match.
Mohamed hopes to have most starters for the next match. He was forced to play Noe Maya as a defending midfielder and Miguel Almazan inside of the backline after starter Joshua Abrego served a a red card suspension against Monterrey. Ruiz will also miss Saturday's game for his red card Wednesday.
"I plan to come out with the same plan and similar lineup," Mohamed said about the second leg. "We were the better team on the field only that the scoreboard didn't say so."
