The Xolos Tijuana vs Victoria Concachampions match will take place this Tuesday, August 20, 2013 (7:00 PM Pacific) at the Estadio Ceibeño in La Ceiba, Honduras. Xolos and Victoria (Honduras), share Group 7 with Luis Angel Firpo of El Salvador; only the winner of the group will get to move on to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Xolos has had a difficult time in its away games under the reign of coach Jorge Almiron, a big difference from when they were coached by Turco Mohamed. This season, Xolos has lost both of its away games in the Liga MX (against Morelia and Monterrey), and tied its away game at Luis Angel Firpo 0-0. Under Mohamed, a three-game streak of away games without winning would be unheard of, Xolos was one of the best away teams when Turco was the head coach.
Almiron appears to struggle adapting his strategy when playing outside of the Estadio Caliente. At Monterrey, Morelia and LA Firpo, Almiron used an offensive style, which allowed the opponents plenty of space to attack. Under Turco Mohamed, Xolos would take advantage of the fact that the home team is forced to attack, and counterattacked with great success.
The match against Victoria will be a great test for Almiron, this could be the first away win that adds some much needed confidence to the team. Nonetheless, Almiron will have to learn that attack isn’t always the best option in away games.
Xolos will face a CD Victoria team that was the runner up in the Honduran league the previous season, and has started off this season with 1 win and 2 losses. On paper, Xolos has a vastly superior roster, and should be able to come up with a win. Nonetheless, Almiron has struggled in away games, and we will have to wait and see what style he uses against this Honduran squad.
There is also the issue of which players Almiron will use for this match. Fernando Arce, Joe Corona, Edgar Castillo, and Aguilar all played on Saturday against Monterrey, and participated the previous Wednesday with their national squads.With Friday’s upcoming match against Santos (in Tijuana), it would be too much to ask for these players to play so many games in such a short amount of time. Expect to see a number of “alternate” players on the field, which should still be good enough to put up a fight against CD Victoria.
Xolos Tijuana vs Victoria Prediction
Xolos has had a difficult time on the road, and I believe this game will not break the negative streak. Xolos will either field a mixed squad with many bench players, or a tired team. Expect Xolos to dominate the game, but ultimately come up short in its quest for a victory. The Xolos vs Victoria match will end in a 1-1 draw. Nonetheless, earning draws in both of its away CCL games is an overall positive result, meaning Xolos would be able to define the winner of Group 7 by winning its home games.
Xolos vs Victoria TV Schedule
The Xolos vs Victoria match will be televised this Tuesday, August 20, 2013 on Univision Deportes at 7:00 PM Pacific.
