TIJUANA.- They packed the lobby at the Tijuana airport last Saturday night. Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles fans clad in the team red and black colors chanted, beat drums and danced as their team arrived into town.
The Xolos were coming into a makeshift party as they celebrated their first win as members of the Primera División, Mexico's top soccer league. The victory was a 3-1 outing against Santos Laguna in Torreon.
Tijuana wants to continue celebrating but this time in front of their hometown fans. The Xolos (1-2-0, 3 points) will get the opportunity to do that Sunday when it hosts Puebla in a Week 5 match-up at Estadio Caliente.
It will be the Xolos' first home match since losing to Morelia in the Clausura Tournament opener July 23, a loss that snapped a 16-month, 25-match unbeaten streak at home for Tijuana.
The Xolos are coming off what was their best performance in the First Division after losing back-to-back matches to Morelia and Monterrey, respectively.
Coach Joaquin del Olmo had a complete squad for an entire week of practice for the first time. He had the same this week and it will be interesting to see how the team will pair against a Puebla team that is coming off a 5-1 loss to Atlante and a 2-1 loss to Jaguares.
La Franja, as Puebla is known, has been considered as one of the league's weaker teams until recent years in which the team has reinforced itself with notable veterans such as former Mexican national team member Gonzalo Pineda, Argentine midfielder Gabirel Pereyra, Mexican league veteran Daniel Osorno and long-time U.S.s national team member DaMarcus Beasley.
Puebla (1-2-1, 4 points) has played in the second division, clinching titles in 2005, '06 and '07, earning a slot back in the top circuit.
That's something the Xolos want to avoid.
Tijuana must continue to rake in points to keep from falling on the demotion percentage standings. Teams in the league don't know much about Tijuana. That could be a slight advantage but at the same time, the Xolos are still green when it comes to facing some of the best teams, not to mention a tough schedule.
It is a task Xolos forward Ismael Iñiguez understands.
"Puebla is a team that likes to keep the ball," Iñiguez said. "They will make things difficult on our field. They are familiar with it. They've made our previous matches against them difficult. They will stand and cover the field well and we need to take advantage of that.
"We need to take advantage that we are home. No game will be easy. The rival is coming in knowing this is a compact Xolos team that is getting better."
The Xolos have showed some improvement, particularly in the midfield with veteran Fernando Arce starting to fit in with the squad. He joined the team in June after singing a transfer from Santos Laguna. Arce scored against Santos last week and set up a scoring play for an assist as well.
The Xolos home turf should also give the team a slight advantage. Estadio Caliente is one of two stadiums in the First Division with artificial surface. Estadio Omnilife in Guadalajara is the other.
Puebla knows the surface well. They've visited the Xolos in July as part of a preseason tournament.
"It can be problematic," Pineda said in a team statement. "The (warm) weather also makes it difficult. But that is no excuse. We've already played there in the preseason and the team showed it can play. We know how they play but we're more interested in what we are going to do. We know that the games we've lost were because of errors on our part and not because the rival was better than us. We are not thinking much about Tijuana but in Puebla."
That might not be the case for Xolos fans. They are probably thinking about Tijuana and another possible win to celebrate."
National aspirations
Xolos midfielder Joe Corona has made it clear, he wants to be part of a national team. Corona was born in Los Angeles to El Salvadoran and Mexican parents. He is eligible to play for Mexico, the United States and El Salvador. The United States might be a more viable option. At least that's what former U.S. national team star Eric Wynalda said earlier this week during a Fox Sports interview on national television.
Wynalda said Corona is a player new U.S. Coach Juergen Klinsmann could like on the roster. Klinsmann said he is interested in giving the United States a Latino feel. He used three players in the Mexican First Division in a 1-1 draw against Mexico in a friendly Wednesday night.
"I'd like to play for Mexico," Corona said earlier this season. "It's my dream but I haven't closed the door on the United States."
ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com
[sidebar]Where to watch
What: Puebla at Xolos
When: Sunday, Aug 14, Noon
Where: Estadio Caliente
TV: TV Azteca
Outlook: The Xolos return home after two road games and its first win in the First Division, a 3-1 outing against Santos Laguna. Tijuana will be looking to begin another home game win streak after winning 25 matches in a span of 16 months. This will be Tijuana's second home match this season.
More information: xolos.com.mx[/sidebar]
