TIJUANA –What was a highly anticipated match ended without goals Sunday.
Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles played to a scoreless draw against visiting Cruz Azul in a Week 6 match-up at a sold out Estadio Caliente.
Tijuana had long waited to have its own club in the Mexican First Division facing some of the league's top teams. The Cruz Azul match was one that fans were eager to see.
And what they got to see Sunday is a Xolos club that appears to be getting used to becoming a contender against championship-caliber teams.
A 0-0 tie in Mexican soccer is not always a pretty sight on the field. But Tijuana displayed a brand of soccer that for the most part was fluid throughout the stadium's artificial turf.
Coach Antonio "El Turco" Mohamed's squad shut down Cruz Azul's dangerous attack for most of the match. Tijuana even was the better team, connecting on give-and-go passes and using open spaces effectively against what is usually a tight Cruz Azul defense.
That was the way Mohamed wanted the match to go, for the most part. The Xolos (2-1-3, nine points) played to Mohamed's promise earlier in the week.
The Argentine-born coach said he would send a more aggressive squad to the field against the unbeaten Cruz Azul (2-0-4, 10 points), one of Mexico's more popular and respected clubs with eight league championships and a strong fan following.
On Sunday, the maybe 1,000 Cruz Azul fans packed into a corner of the stadium, and others scattered throughout the stands, sang their team's traditional song: "Azul, Azul."
Not too many clubs come into Estadio Caliente in its young Primera División life and have a group of fans that can be heard the way Cruz Azul fans projected during this match.
And those fans got to see a Cruz Azul team that was coming off a mid-week match in the Copa Libertadores, South America's version of the Champions League in Europe.
Cruz Azul coach Enrique Meza chose to use some of his starters as substitutes. Emmanuel Villa and Christian Gimenez came in the second half.
"I'm not trying to make excuses but we have to keep our team fresh," Meza said. "(Tijuana) is a dangerous rival which played after the ball and it's quick on the ball. I think the tie was a deserving one."
The draw not only gives the Xolos another point and keeps it in the top 10 teams, but it probably gives a young club confidence to stack up against what are considered better rivals.
But the draw also helped display some areas where the Xolos should be concerned, including a soft defensive effort at times.
The Xolos nearly allowed the winning goal in the 59th minute.
Trying to feed a pass from his goal to a teammate, Cirilo Saucedo, the Xolos' goalkeeper, sent a ball straight to Cruz Azul striker Omar Bravo.
Bravo took the ball and fired a shot. Saucedo made the save diving to his left. It was a play reminiscent to the Xolos attack.
Also on the list, Tijuana's lack of goals, not being able to finish plays.
Tijuana controlled possession for most of the first half, creating several scoring opportunities.
Edgar Castillo, Egidio Arevalo, Joe Corona and Duvier Riascos all sent shots at Cruz Azul's goal.
Wide right. Wide left. Just wide left. Just wide right. Straight to the goalkeeper, José de Jesus Corona, and overt the cross bar.
Those were just a few results off the Xolos' shots in the first half.
Arevalo could have been the hero and given his club the win had he not sent a shot flying into the stands during injury time in the second half.
His right-footed blast from near the penalty spot didn't even come close. Arevalo was alone, with no defender within five yards. He had time to control Raul Enriquez' rolling centered pass. Arevalo chose to try a one-timer instead.
It was the only play with a real threat in the second half. Most came during the first 45 minutes of the game.
Perhaps the most dangerous of those was Joe Corona's in the 34th minute when he was left alone at the top of the box. He sent a right-footed blast zooming past defenders but Cruz Azul's goalkeeper, the other Corona in the match, was positioned well to catch the shot into his chest.
"We had the better opportunities. We just didn't complete and that is the reality," Mohamed said. "We couldn't win the game. But it's a point. We'll take it."
ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com
