Photo Credit: Itzel Segura / Prost Amerika
The game ended at Estadio Caliente, the Tijuana Xolos players all had their heads down and were really disappointed. Tears ran down Colombian striker Dayro Moreno’s cheek. CLub TIjuana, Liga MX’s league leaders, were officially eliminated from the playoffs in the quarterfinal round and against its biggest rivals Club Leon.
Being eliminated hurts, being eliminated to your rivals hurts even more but the drama which took place at Estadio Caliente on Saturday night made it all sting just a little more for the Tijuana fans.
Xolos were 12 minutes (10 in regulation plus the two added minutes by the referee) away from producing an epic come from behind win and advance to the 2016 Apertura semifinal. But at the end there were just too many obstacles in Tijuana’s way.
The fact that Xolos even had a chance to qualify to the semifinal was a miracle in itself but to be holding on to the ticket with so little time left was something so much more special than a simple miracle.
Xolos had lost the first leg in Leon’s Camp Nou stadium 3-0. Leon were officially the hottest team in Liga MX with an 11-game unbeaten streak after that first leg match. The return leg in Tijuana was suppose to only be a formality. But the Xolos had other plans.
Xolos Vs. Leon has become one of Mexico’s heated rivalries. The two teams have faced each other in important games throughout first and second division, multiple playoff head to heads in both division have led to the intense rivalry; and the returned leg had fireworks in its forecast.
Photo Credit: Itzel Segura / Prost Amerika
Unfortunately the only ones not ready for the fireworks were the referees. Luis Enrique Santander came into the match more nervous than the players. Cards started flying out of his pocket in the second minute. He missed a clear penalty in favor of the home team, about six Xolos players surrounded Santander protesting the no call and in the end of it all, assistant referee corrected the man with the whistle and Xolos were awarded the penalty.
Xolos took the early lead and needed just two more goals to qualify. But the obstacles continued to pile on. Manager Miguel Herrera was thrown out of the game in the seventh minute and central midfielder Juninho was shown a direct red card in the 17th minute.
Xolos were once in a similar position. Back in 2012 Tijuana faced Leon in the 2012 Apertura semifinals. Leon won the first leg at home 2-0 but the Xolos returned to Estadio Caliente and won the return leg 3-0 to advance to the final which it subsequently won to win the championship. It needed another playoff 3-0 win over the same Leon side once again.
Two goals within minutes of each other by defensive players Yasser Corona and Guido Rodriguez sent the home side to the halftime break with a 3-0 lead. The magical scoreline which it needed to advance, Fans at Estadio Caliente felt anything was possible. Their team needed to hold on 45 minutes and the unlikely comeback win was theirs.
But destiny did not allow the Xolos to once again blow past its rivals in the playoffs like back in 2012. There were just too many obstacles for Xolos to overcome. Leon scored one in the 80th minute. Thanks to the ‘away-goal’ rule it now meant that Tijuana needed to score two more goals to win the aggregate and advance.
The Leon goal was such a blow to the home side that a second goal for Leon was scored to put it beyond hope. Xolos fans left the stadium having been so close, yet so far away from glory.
