GUADALAJARA, Mexico – A total of six Americans got minutes in Sunday’s game between Puebla and Club Tijuana, but it was DaMarcus Beasley and Michael Orozco Fiscal’s La Franja who took the points with a 2-0 victory.
Orozco Fiscal put in another quality performance, going the full 90 minutes and keeping in-form Ecuadorian forward Fidel Martínez quiet. He started on the right-hand side of a central defensive trio, moving to right back in the second half.
The 27-year-old had a headed goal disallowed in the 76th, with television replays showing no clear sign as to why, and stole glory from Herculez Gomez’s clutches in the 69th when he cleared his fellow American’s effort off the line.
Beasley also played the full match at Estadio Cuauhtémoc, starting as left wing back before switching to left back in the second half when coach Rubén Omar Romano moved to a straight back four.
The three points keep Puebla’s playoff hopes alive and moved La Franja to ninth, although they are still four points off eighth-place Querétaro.
Xolos’ American contingent didn’t enjoy its best afternoon on a poor pitch, with Edgar Castillo frustrated in his attempts to make headway attacking down the left and Joe Corona hauled off at halftime for Paul Arriola.
Corona – who played on the right wing – had gone close to an early goal when he cut across the ball with his right foot from the edge of the area, but the effort was tipped wide by ‘keeper Jorge Villalpando.
There was a neat battle after halftime as Arriola went directly up against Beasley on Tijuana’s right, but it was experience that won out, with the Xolos youngster having one of his quietest days so far this Apertura season.
Gomez came off the bench in the 59th in his first Liga Bancomer MX appearance since May 20, but made little headway – aside for the close range effort Orozco Fiscal cleared off the line – against a Puebla team that didn’t sit back on its 1-0 lead, pushing forward and eventually getting its second in the 84th.
In Mexico’s second division, Marco Vidal went 90 minutes in Lobos BUAP’s 0-0 tie at Correcaminos on Friday, while Jesus Padilla’s Dorados overcame Sonny Guadarrama’s Necaxa 3-0 on Saturday. Padilla was an unused sub for Dorados, with Guadarrama coming on for Necaxa in the 55th.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. Contact him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
