with technical director Miguel Herrera prowling the sidelines with his nose heavily bandaged, the product of a car accident earlier Wednesday - enjoyed large swaths of possession in both halves but rarely tested new Tigres goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo.
Tigres should have gone ahead before two minutes were gone. Javier Saavedra, who just returned from Jaguares, sent a low cross from the right wing through the goalmouth for Ruiz at the far post, but the defender mis-hit the ball with his right foot, knocking it off his left knee, and spinning it around the right post.
They nearly had another after 11 minutes, after Monterrey defender Diego Ordaz handled the ball while turning to clear just outside the box. Jaime Lozano's free kick curled toward the upper-right corner, and Martinez leapt to push it around the post.
Monterrey, utilizing a potent midfield triangle - Walter Ervitti, Leandro Gracian and Jesus Arellano - to find seams in Tigres' defense, dictated action much of the first half, but it mattered little. The Rayados put together a nifty sequence midway through the half - crosses from Perez, on a free kick and corner kick, and Ervitti from the right flank testing the UANL backline - that finished with Perez's blast over the cross bar from Gracian's feed following a short corner kick in the 21st minute.
Monterrey had reason to complain three minutes later when referee Baldomero Toledo refused to award a penalty kick after Nicolas Ruvalcaba's hand ball on Felipe Baloy's blast from the right, but the Rayados benefited from the whistle when Ruvalcaba's apparent goal in the 31st minute was waved off on an offside call.
The Rayados' best chance of the first half arrived in the 40th minute, after Gracian's deflected pass got past Ruvalcaba to Perez, who was left 1-on-1 with Saucedo. Saucedo raced out to cut off the angle and got a piece of Perez's shot, sending it well wide of the net.
Monterrey again looked the better team early in the second half, but Gaitan's entrance in the 59th minute for Saavedra changed the match's complexion. He beat two defenders with his first touch, forcing Martinez to the ground to knock his shot from the top of the box wide of the post.
Tigres continued to bear down on the Monterrey defense, and it led to the corner kick in the 72nd. Balderas was left unmarked, and the Rayados paid for it.
Lozano's bending free kick from the right flank forced another fine Martinez parry three minutes later, and Gaitan sent the goalkeeper sprawling to knock down a low blast seconds later. Lozano's follow-up soared over the crossbar.
It was all over six minutes later, after Baloy's short pass got past Ervitti. Gaitan latched onto the ball, maneuvered left, then right -- dancing with Ervitti to open space -- and then pounded the ball inside the left post from 18 yards.
Tigres still must contend with Cruz Azul (Saturday in Frisco, Texas) and Necaxa (Tuesday in Carson, Calif.) to reach one of the Jan. 13 finals in Carson. Monterrey hope to follow the example set last year by Tigres, who dropped their InterLiga opener - 5-3 to Guadalajara - then won three in a row to claim the title.
Scott French is a contributor to InterLiga.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the tournament organizers or clubs.
01.03.2007: Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 20,227
MONTERREY - TIGRES 0:2
TIG- 3- Sidney Balderas 71', 10- Walter Gaitan 83'
MON: 16- Christian Martinez, 23- Felipe Baloy, 22- William Paredes, 21- Diego Ordaz, 7- Santiago Banos, 18- Walter Ervitti, 19- Leandro Gracian, 8- Luis Perez, 28- Jesus Arellano, 11- Hugo Rodallega, (9- Carlos Ochoa, 10- Rolando Zarate, 68')
DNP: 1- Jonathan Orozco, 3- Pierre Ibarra, 14- Joel Morales, 30- Ernesto Serato, 35- Carlo Alanis, 52- Carlos Vela
TD: Miguel Herrera
TIG: 25- Cirilo Saucedo, 6- Omar Briceno, 5- Fabian Cubero, 3- Sindey Balderas, 15- Mario Ruiz, 21- Jaime Lozano, (8- Javier Saavedra, 10- Walter Gaitan, 59'), 35- Jesús Chavez, 55- Nicolas Ruvalcaba, (11- Aldo De Nigris, 20- Juan Pablo Garcia, 70') 39- Emmanuel Cerda
DNP: 19- Juan Montano, 17- Jesús Palacios, 31- Enrique Palos, 23- John Restrepo, 26- Enrique Escudero
TD: Mario Carrillo
Cingular Man of the Match: Sindey Balderas (TIG)
Booked:
MON - Cautioned player (7 Santiago Banos, yellow 73')
TIG - Cautioned player (15 Mario Ruiz, yellow 51'), (55 Nicolas Ruvalcaba, yellow 61'), (25 Cirilo Saucedo, yellow 80')
Sent off:
None
Statistics MON TIG
Goal Attempts 8 15
Saves 6 4
Fouls 14 13
Corners 5 6
Offsides 1 2
R: Baldomero Toledo (USA)
A1: Kermit Quisenberry (USA)
A2: Adam Wienckowski (USA)
FO: Michael Kennedy (USA)
