GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Herculez Gomez's first start for Club Tijuana couldn't prevent them from falling further out of playoff contention on Tuesday night in a 2-0 loss to runaway Liga MX leaders Club América at Estadio Azteca.
The US international (above) featured at center forward and went 72 minutes for Xolos in Mexico City, and even fired a sixth-minute effort from the edge of the penalty area right at América 'keeper Moisés Muñóz, but he couldn't crack the score sheet.
Gomez was one of four Americans to see action for Tijuana, including Edgar Castillo, who looked fired up against his old team and made some solid tackles early on as he played the full 90 minutes at left back. One minute before halftime, with Las Águilas already 2-0 up, Castillo broke into the box past a defender and looked like netting before Colombian international Aquivaldo Mosquera swept up.
Joe Corona came on at halftime to try and inject some life into Xolos and played in an attacking midfield role, but while the away side huffed and puffed, América repelled their attacks with relative ease.
The last American to come on was Paul Arriola in the 62nd minute. The 18-year-old right-winger drew a yellow card from América’s Francisco Rodríguez and had a decent chance from a free header at the far post in the 76th.
The result leaves Xolos in 12th place, seven points off eighth-place Querétaro with only five games of the regular season to play.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. E-mail him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
