CARSON, Calif. - Tigres and Necaxa have all but dominated InterLiga's Group A. Necaxa, in fact, has already qualified for Saturday's finals on the strength of wins over Cruz Azul and Monterrey.
Tigres, meanwhile, need just a draw to reach the other final and try for its third consecutive InterLiga title. The Monterrey-based club, though, could get to the final even with a loss, provided the result in the Cruz Azul-Monterrey match goes its way.
So what motivation then do the teams have when Necaxa plays Tigres Tuesday at Home Depot Center?
"You can't go into a game thinking about the different possibilities it represents. You have to go out and try to win each game," Necaxa coach Jose Luis Trejo said. "Under no conditions should you try to play around a set of circumstances."
Necaxa would clinch the Group A title with a win or a draw but a loss would not hamper the club's hopes of reaching Copa Libertadores.
Tigres, meanwhile, could stand a victory to win the group title. A draw would suffice but that is not exactly the mentality Tigres will have when it steps onto the field on Tuesday.
"Winning for me is a part of life," Tigres coach Mario Carrillo said. "I would always like to win and this just goes along with that."
The last time Tigres and Necaxa met in an official match was on Oct. 28 when Necaxa walked away with a 1-0 win over Tigres. Carrillo had already taken over the Tigres reins from Trejo, who was sacked after winning just two of the club's first 11 games.
Kleber Boas scored the lone goal that day, a 43rd-minute strike that was sufficient for the victory. Kleber has been on fire during InterLiga, having scored three goals in the first two games.
Kleber's former strike partner, Walter Gaitan, is not likely to start.
Gaitan has been a second-half substitute in each of the first two games and scored a late goal against Monterrey in the tournament opener.
But Gaitan will be unavailable to Tigres for the first two games of the upcoming Clausura 2007 season.
"Walter is my best player. He's my captain but unfortunately we won't have him available for the first two games," Carrillo said. "I am preparing my team without him because he's suspended."
Even without Gaitan in the starting lineup, Tigres features an attacking side that could give Necaxa's defense fits. Jaime Lozano was deadly accurate on his set pieces during Monday's training session. Striker Aldo De Nigris scored a goal in Saturday's 2-2 draw against Cruz Azul.
For Trejo, meanwhile, the game represents the opportunity to face one of his former clubs. Trejo coached Tigres last year and joined the club after leading Pachuca to the Clausura 2006 season.
Trejo, who also has made stops at Toros Neza, Cruz Azul and Jaguares, said the match carries no extra significance.
"It's not special at all. What interests me is my team. I want to see my team continue to improve, not only to reach our objective, which is to reach Libertadores but also the regular season," he said. "It's just another game."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to InterLiga.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the tournament's organizers or clubs.
