FRISCO, Texas - On Thursday in Houston, UAG Tecos pulled a surprise, playing InterLiga 2007 favorite Club América to a 1-1 draw. Tecolote withstood an all-out offensive barrage from the Aguilas and left the pitch with a hard-earned point for their strong effort in their InterLiga debut.
That is the good news. The bad news for Tecos is that things don't get any easier on Sunday at Pizza Hut Park against Jaguares, who prevailed 2-1 over Morelia on Thursday night in the Bayou City to place themselves alone atop the Group B standings with three points. With the win, Jaguares are now 3-0-1 all-time in InterLiga.
Tecos played América to a draw because of a strong defensive effort, both from their back line and from goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona, who had an outstanding game between the posts. América had a whopping 11 corner kicks to Tecos' two, but the Tecolote defense proved they were up to the challenge in limiting América to only a goal by Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who converted off a free kick in the 58th minute for his side's lone score.
On the offensive side, Tecos' goal, which came off the foot of Hugo Droguett in the 25th minute to give his side an early 1-0 edge, was the product of a perfectly executed counterattack that left América dazed by its precision. All in all, it was a solid performance by Tecos in their debut but they may be hard pressed to come up with an encore.
Jaguares, on the other hand, come into Sunday's match fresh off some drama of their own. They did win their opening match, a 2-1 decision over Morelia, also on Thursday, but they did it with just 10 men after midfielder Tomas Campos was sent off in the 64th minute for getting his second yellow card of the evening.
But to their credit, Jaguares showed a great deal of character and never lost their poise despite being a man down. After Campos' ejection, Jaguares Technical Director Eduardo de la Torre immediately moved center back Heriberto Morales back to Campos' spot at left back. And three minutes later, he brought in midfielder Walter Fretes, recently acquired from Cerro Porteno in Paraguay, to make his club debut.
That move paid quick dividends as just two minutes later, Morales found Fretes streaking toward the goal, and he converted the eventual game-winner. The win marked the second time that Jaguares had won their opening match in Interliga. They also prevailed 4-0 over Necaxa on Jan. 2, 2005 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Campos will not be available on Sunday due to a one-game suspension but de la Torre has options. He could keep Morales at left back and possibly put Fretes in the starting 11 for the first time with his new side.
With América and Tecos playing to a draw, a win by Jaguares over Tecos would give them six points after two matches and put them in the driver's set to win Group B and play for a trip to Copa Libertadores.
In 2005, their only other appearance in InterLiga, Jaguares went 2-0-1 and finished fourth, falling to Chivas in the runners-up game on penalty kicks. So, it's safe to say that they have some unfinished business in InterLiga, business that they would like to close the deal on this year.
However, if Tecos can pull off the upset and beat or draw Jaguares , they could tighten things up a bit in Group B. Assuming that América defeat Morelia on Sunday, a Tecos win would mean Tecos and América would be tied atop the group with four points and Jaguares would be just behind with three, setting up a dramatic conclusion to group play on Wednesday in Carson.
UAG Tecos and Jaguares will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT. The match is set to be televised by Fox Sports Espanol.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to InterLiga.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the tournament's organizers or clubs.
