In a second-leg semifinal for the Liga MX Clausura 2017, Xolos of Tijuana will host Tigres UANL this Sunday, May 21, 2017 (6:00 PM Pacific) at the Estadio Caliente. This match will decide of the finalists who will face the winner between Toluca and Chivas which will be played before this match.
Xolos of Tijuana is in trouble, a lot of trouble. The team coached by Miguel ‘Piojo’ Herrera enters Sunday’s ‘vuelta’ semifinal with everything against him and with everything to lose. First, in the first-leg last Thursday, his team performed in a medriocre manner which led to a 0-2 loss. Not only did his team fail to score on the road which is crucial with the away-goal rule, but the offense failed to create even one significant goal-scoring opportunity. The second issue Piojo has is that he is left without any ‘veteran’ staring central defenders.
Captain and defender Juan Carlos Valenzuela suffered an injury during the last match which will prevent him from participating in Sunday’s game. Add his injury to that of Yasser Corona and Emmanuel Aguilera, and now Xolos must play with youth-team players in that position. Valenzuela’s absence was immediately noticeable on Thursday as the team lost the fortitude to prevent an incredibly deep Tigres offense.
The last problem Piojo faces is that his team must win at least by a two goal margin in order to reach the final; if scored on, Xolos must win at least 3-1 due to the away-goal rule. The issue with this is that Tijuana’s offense has been dormant lately, while Tigres has the top defense in the competition. Add to that the fact that striker Aviles Hurtado may miss the match to injury, and one comes to realize that there is not much hope for Piojo in possibly his last match under Xolos.
As opposed to Xolos, Tigres has been nothing other than absolutely magnificent since the start to their five-game winning streak which began on April 29 in a 3-0 win against none other than Xolos. The team coached by Ricardo Ferretti has scored a total of 16 goals in that lapse while only receiving 2 goals. The ‘auriazules’ will enter the Estadio Caliente understanding that a goal will most likely seal the semifinal and qualify them to their second consecutive Liga MX final.
How to Watch Xolos Tijuana vs Tigres UANL
The Xolos vs Tigres second-leg Liga MX semifinal will be broadcast this Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 6:00 PM Pacific:
TV Schedule: Azteca America
Watch Live Online: Sling TV (Watch 7 Days Free)
