Photo Credit: Itzel Segura / Prost Amerika
By Jonny Rico
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Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles (Xolos) continue its path along the 2016 Apertira season in first place of the league table. The Xolos opened up Week 7 in Liga MX on Friday evening hosting Pumas UNAM at Estadio Caliente. Xolos come into the match sitting in first place and a 1-0 win over Pumas guaranteed that the Tijuana side remained at leaste one more week at the top.
Club Tijuana has made its home ground, Estadio Caliente, play in its favor all season long. Xolos have taken victories in all four home games played at the Caliente stadium so far this Apertura season. Tijuana kicked off the new season with a 2-0 win over Monarcas Morelia, it then beat Chivas Guadalajara 4-0 (Week 3), beat Club Leon 2-0 (Week 5) and now beat Pumas 1-0 (Week 7). A total of nine goals have been scored by the Xolos while keeping a clean sheet in all four matches.
On the road Xolos have been solid but not as good as at home. Tijuana has managed one win (against Cruz Azul 2-1 in Week 4), one loss (against Puebla 3-2 in Week 2) and one draw (against Necaxa Week 6).
Tijuana will now be put to the test. Following the one week hiatus due to the FIFA International Break, Xolos will have two consecutive away matches against two of the league’s top teams. It visits last season’s runner up finishers CF Monterrey on Septempber 10 in Week 8 action and then moves on to face reigning Liga MX champion Pachuca on September 17. Stuck in between the two tough matches in a ‘must win’ away Copa MX match against Toluca FC on September 14.
Xolos will not have another home game until the 21st of September when it hosts Club Queretaro in a midweek league match.
HERRERA TACTICLAL FLEXIBILITY PLUS CONSISTANCY THE KEY TO XOLOS SUCCESS
Xolos manager Miguel “Piojo” Herrera has always been known to use mentor’s Ricardo La Volpe favorite tactical set up of 5-3-2. He has used the same formation throughout his career at Tecos, Atlante, Club America and the Mexican National Team.
But for the new season Herrera has shown something different. “Piojo” Herrera has employed a 4-3-3 formation this season. The flexibility in changing from his prefered 5-3-2 has allowed Xolos to showcase its powerful attack while remaning organized at the back.
The attack features two skillful Colombian forwards. Dayro Moreno and Aviles Hurtado seem to create danger everytime they get a hold of the ball. Big center striker Milton Caraglio has played with his back to goal most of the season looking to hold the ball at the top, attrack defenders his way to open up spaces for his teammates and also looking to play the ball to the runs of Hurtado, Moreno or any other teammate.
The midfield for Xolos is held together by 22-year old Guido Rodriguez who is a new tranfer this season. At times he drops back and looks like another defender while also pushing up the field and helping in the attacking portions of the field. Rodriguez is helped in the middle by another new transfer Victor Malcorra and attacking mid Gabriel Hauche.
The back line is led by new team captain Juan Carlos “Topo” Valenzuela and new center back Emanuel Aguilera. Another new transfer this season has been Damian Perez who has filled into the left-back position nicely following Greg Garza’s injury while Michael Orozco has claimed the righ-back position for himself leaving long time Xolo Juan Carlos Nuñez on the bench. All of them backed up by the veteran Federico Vilar who is having one of his best season in many years. Many Xolos fans were disappointed in seeing Vilar still on the squad when Olympic goalkeeper Gibran Lajud is right behind waiting for an opportunity.
MIguel Herrera has found a quality starting eleven and even though it features a lot of new faces who barely transfewred in at the start of this season, it has been able ti adapt quickly and start producing results. Herrera has had the luxury of sending the same starting lineup in its last five consecutive matches.
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