There won't be a Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles game this weekend or any other match in the Mexican Apertura Tournament.
The playoffs begin Nov. 19 and Tijuana will be watching from home after failing to qualify.
The Xolos were not favorites to reach the post season and make an impact in their first season in the Primera División after earning promotion from the Liga de Ascenso (Second Division) in May.
Despite raking in only 18 points and finishing as the No. 15 club out of 18 in the standings, Tijuana made some strides toward becoming a legitimate contender in the First Division. It will try to stay there after climbing out of the cellar in the relegation standings, ahead of Estudiantes.
Let's take a look at some of the things that changed within the organization this season as the club prepares for the Clausura Tournament in early 2012.
New uniforms, new off-season acquisitions, new coach, new electronic screen and scoreboard, new press conference room and new stadium seats and lights at Estadio Caliente.
That's a list of some of the notable changes.
Perhaps the most important was the coaching move. Firing Joaquín del Olmo in favor of Antonio "El Turco" Mohamed, after nine matches and a 1-5-3 record with only six points turned out to be a legitimate move for the club.
Del Olmo, the coach who led the team to the First Division, appeared to have a bond with his players. They lobbied with team administrators to keep him after he came under fire after a 2-0 loss to Estudiantes in September.
The players pleaded to no avail. It wasn't enough that Del Olmo kept his team competitive and, at times, was the better team in a handful of losses.
Enter Mohamed, and the club's performance improved.
The Xolos finished the final eight games unbeaten (2-0-6) and raked in 12 points with him in charge. Tijuana could have had an additional nine points and could have made a push for the post season had it not allowed late goals against Club América and Atlante, both on the road. Then there was striker Dayro Moreno's missed penalty kick in the final seconds of a 1-1 draw at home against San Luis.
That was the Xolos' theme in this tournament. Missed opportunities on offense and giving up soft goals with a suspect defense.
Those problems subsided, to an extent, with Mohamed as coach. Enough that Mohamed was able to find a sustainable starting lineup. He used it for most of the last part of the tournament.
The off-season acquisition of veteran midfielders Leandro Augusto, Egidio Arevalo and Fernando Arce didn't quite work out as the club wanted. Arce and Augusto looked slow and lost a lot of balls at midfield. Arevalo struggled to cover ground at times. It will be interesting to see if the club will keep these players for the next tournament.
That also leaves the question if the Xolos will bring back most of their players. Some have drawn interest outside the club. Rumors have surfaced that Moreno, the Colombian striker, is wanted by Club América.
For now, the Xolos will focus on the positives in the just-ended season. The newly installed lights gave Estadio Caliente a professional stadium feel. The Xolos can now play in prime time. The club has started to look and play like a First Division team. It will be up to the team to remain there after the next tournament. We will have to wait until early 2012 to see what the Xolos will bring next.
ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com
