The Xolos Tijuana vs Pumas Liga MX match will take place this Friday, August 9, 2013 (7:30 PM Pacific) at the Estadio Caliente. Club Tijuana will be host to Pumas in Week 5 of the Apertura 2013. After 3 matches (postponed the game against Club America), Xolos have 4 points after one win, one loss, and one tie. On the other hand, Pumas have been the league’s greatest disappointment after gathering only 2 points after 4 matches (two ties).
The team coached by Jorge Almiron will look to improve their play when they play low seeded, Pumas. Xolos has 4 out of 6 possible points at home, but the team has played worse game-after-game. Almiron who has mentioned he likes to style offensive formations, has had issues providing his ideas to his players. After scoring 3 goals in the first match against Atlas, they have been almost unable to reach the opponent’s goal.
Part of Tijuana’s lack of offense has been due to the formations and starting lineups used by Almiron. In two matches he has left Fidel Martinez in the bench, while starting veteran Diego Olsina instead. That means that none of the three starting forwards from the Apertura 2012 championship team are playing anymore (Duvier Riascos and Alfredro Moreno were transferred, and Martinez is in the bench). To make things worse for the Xolos offense, striker Herculez Gomez is out for at least another 5 games after having knee surgery. Meanwhile, star signing, Dario Benedetto, was injured in the game against Monarcas Morelia, meaning he will also be out for some time. Xolos is without a solid starting forward, therefore they called Raul Enriquez from their affiliate team, Dorados, to fill that gap.
If Xolos have played nothing like the team Antonio Mohamed lead, then Pumas have played nothing near what fans expect from them. Pumas has played without offensive intelligence, without a fluid midfield, and has made costly mistakes on defense. This is a team that made several key signings in the off season, but thus far they have been unnoticed. Pressure to gather results, as well as fan pressure, has put coach Juan Antonio Torres Servin on the spotlight; if they do not win on Friday, he will be the first coach to be fired this Apertura 2013.
Xolos Tijuana vs Pumas Prediction
The Xolos Tijuana vs Pumas game will not be the best match of the week by any means. Both squads have difficulty understanding what their coaches want, and both squads have worsen as the season has grown older. On Friday night, Xolos will dominate the midfield, but without a forward, they will make no serious threats. On the other side, Pumas, will improve upon their previous matches, but they will not have enough to defeat a tough Xoloitzcuintles defense. The Xolos Tijuana vs Pumas match will end in a 1-1 tie.
Xolos Tijuana vs Pumas TV Schedule
The Xolos Tijuana vs Pumas match will be televised this Friday, August 9, 2013 on ESPN Deportes and Azteca America at 7:30 PM Pacific.
