GUADALAJARA, Mexico – While there was nothing to rival Clint Dempsey's heroics for Tottenham Hotspur, there was plenty of action for Americans south of the border this weekend as the Mexican league starts to take shape.
On Sunday, DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco Fiscal earned the bragging rights against Herculez Gomez’s Santos Laguna with a 2-1 victory thanks to an injury-time goal. Beasley earned the free kick that led to the winning goal, after being tripped when he was sprinting down the right wing.
The 30-year-old winger started on the bench and only came on in the 69th minute, brightening up the Puebla attack and almost scoring in the 73rd when he latched onto a through ball and forced a fine save out of Oswaldo Sánchez.
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Orozco Fiscal started at right back but was brought off at halftime, with commentators speculating that he may have picked up a muscle strain.
For Gomez, returning to his old stomping ground was an unhappy affair, although the striker went close in the 65th and 69th minutes and completed the full 90 minutes for the first time this season.
On Saturday, Jose Torresmade his debut for Tigres UANL, slotting in neatly alongside Carlos Salcido in the heart of the midfield without any signs of rustiness. The Texan went 71 minutes in his team’s 1-0 victory, maintaining their perfect record this season.
Joe Corona missed Club Tijuana’s 2-1 victory over Pumas UNAM in the Ciudad Universitaria on Sunday with a minor injury to his left shoulder, but Edgar Castillo played the full game as Xolos kept up with Tigres at the top of the league.
In the second division Ascenso MX, Marco Vidal came on for the final 20 minutes of Lobos BUAP’s 3-0 win on Friday over Dorados.
Jesús Padilla came off the bench in the 73rd for La Piedad in their 1-0 loss to Veracruz, while Sonny Guadarrama went 78 minutes in Mérida’s 1-0 win at Irapuato.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. Contact him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com
