Xoloitzcuintles allow goals in each half vs. Puebla FC in opener

PUEBLA, Mexico (Jan. 10, 2015)- Club Tijuana opened the 2015 Clausura season of the LIGA Bancomer MX with a 2-1 loss to host Puebla FC Saturday in a Week 1 match at Estadio Universitario BUAP.

The new look Xoloitzcuintles began Mexican soccer’s 17-week tournament allowing goals in each half against Puebla FC. Club Tijuana, sporting its new all-red adidas uniform and showcasing three new players, watched Gustavo Alustiza score twice for Puebla (20^th and 59^th minute). Dayro Moreno (60^th) found the net for Club Tijuana but it wasn’t enough in the first match of the season for both teams.

Puebla (1-0-0, three points) took the 1-0 lead when Alustiza converted a penalty kick in the 20^th minute. Alustiza sent a powerful shot through the hands of Club Tijuana (0-1-0) goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo into the back of the net. The penalty kick was called against the Xoloitzcuintles when Club Tijuana defender Jesus Chavez was whistled for a foul in the area, prompting a yellow card.

Chavez is one of the Xoloitzcuintles off-season acquisitions along with strikers Ricardo Da Silva and Gabriel Hauche. The new players all had significant plays in the match against Puebla. For Puebla, it was Alustiza who made the difference. Alustiza made it 2-0 in favor of the home team when he sent in a left-footed, one-timer off an Eisner Loboa floating ball past Saucedo, Club Tijuana’s goalkeeper, into the upper right-corner of the net.

The Xoloitzcuintles answered with a quick goal by Moreno, the Colombian striker. The forward took a rainbow pass by Ricardo Da Silva into the area. Moreno raced past Puebla goalkeeper Rodolfo Robles and tapped the ball in. Club Tijuana insisted and looked for the equalizer in the second half. Moreno had a blast from about 35-yards out slam off the crossbar in the 81^st minute. Second half sub Alfredo Moreno also had a ball deflected inside the area with only the goalkeeper to beat. Hauche also had a couple of opportunities off a corner kick but his two shots sailed over the Puebla crossbar.

The Xoloitzcuintles had a few chances at goal in the first half including a couple of dangerous shots by midfielder Juan Arango. The Venezuelan sent a free kick bending from about 25-yards out but Robles made a diving save to his left to block Aranago’s dangerous shot in the 29^th minute. Arango tried his luck one more time in the 36^th minute with a long range shot, trying to catch Robles off guard but the goalkeeper pounced on the shot to make the save.

The Xoloitzcuintles coached by Daniel Guzman came into the match with a revamped offense with the addition of two new strikers to the starting lineup with Hauche and Da Silva. They were part of the starting line up along with Javier Guemez, Richard Ruiz and Arango in the midfield. The starting defensive back line was made up of United States national team player Gregory Garza, team captain Javier Gandolfi, Chavez and veteran Juan Carlos Nuñez. Saucedo was the goalkeeper. The Xoloitzcuintles return to Tijuana to host Club America Friday Jan. 16 (7:30 p.m.) in a Week 2 match at Estadio Caliente in the home opener for Club Tijuana.

PUEBLA FC 2, CLUB TIJUANA 1

LIGA MX

2015 CLAUSURA

WEEK 1

Estadio Cuauhtemoc BUAP

SCORING

20th- Alustiza (PUE)

59th- Alustiza (PUE)

60th- D. Moreno (TIJ)

TEAM RECORDS

(Wins, Losses, Ties, points)

Puebla (1-0-0, 3 points)

Club Tijuana (0-1-0, 0 points)

LINEUPS

Club Tijuana:

Cirilo Saucedo; Javier Gandolfi, Jesus Chávez, Juan Carlos Nuñez, Gregory Garza; Javier Güémez, Juan Arango (Edgar Villegas 82^nd), Richard Ruíz (Henry Martin Inj.), Gabriel Hauche; Ricardo Da Silva (Alfredo Moreno 70^th) and Dayro Moreno.

Unused subs:

Elio Castro; Oliver Ortiz; Gibran Lajud; Javier Salas

Puebla FC:

Rodolfo Robles, Facundo Erpen, Luis Esqueda, Michael Orozco, Gerardo Espinoza, Eisner Loboa (Francisco Torres 64^th), Luis Noriega, Mauricio Romero, Jhon Pajoy (Wilberto Cosme 73^rd), Gustavo Alustiza (Cuauhtemoc Blanco 74^th); Gabriel Rey.

Unused subs:

Fabian Villaseñor; Herculez Gomez; Flavio Santos; Sergio Perez

YELLOW CARDS

Club Tijuana: Jesus Chavez (19^th)

Puebla FC: Luis Esqueda (24^th)

Facundo Erpen (28^th)

Eisner Loboa (31^st)