Four months ago the Xolos were celebrating their first championship in Liga MX. Having been eliminated from playoff contention within the last two weeks, on Friday the Tijuana club was playing for pride.
With a 4-0 victory over CD Guadalajara Chivas, the Xolos went out on a winning note even if their season was far from victorious.
The offensive reawakening, suggests the Xolos are primed for their Copa Liberatadores game against Palmeiras on May 14.
Coach Antonio Mohamed said that his team completed the season in a respectable way and that he was happy to earn the victory at home, but more importantly that this victory raises their moral for the game in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“The team showed the intensity that we always had, in the psychological part Chivas had a break down and we had an emotional rise,” Mohamed said. “We have the mindset that we are going to advance to the next round, I trust my players and we are more alive than ever, the series is at zero, we expect a a favorable result, this is a historic game for us and we are going to make history.”
The first goal came in the 19th minute when Richard Ruiz sent a cross practically in the baseline to Bruno Piceno who, with a spectacular left foot touch, scored the first goal of the night and of his career.
In the 32nd minute forward Duvier Riascos scored the team’s second goal after beating the defense and receiving a prolonged pass from Edgar Castillo.
The third goal arrived in the 42nd minute after Duvier Riascos sent a fine pass to Ruiz who sent a powerful right-footed shot past Chivas goalkeeper Luis Michel.
The last goal of the night came in the injury time of the first half as midfielder Fernando Arce sent a cross that Michel would deflect but the deflection left the ball in the box and it ended up at the feet of the talented Fidel Martinez who chipped the ball over Michel for the fourth and final goal of the nght.
Chivas coach Benjamin Galindo said that he was unhappy with his team in the first half and that this defeat hurts him.
“Tijuana beat us walking. In the second half they did not put the accelerator because they did not want to,” he said. “If not it would have been a more disastrous defeat.”
Despite the Friday night victory, the Xolos (6-3-8) will miss the playoffs. Chivas also will miss post-season play because of their 3-7-7 record.
