GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Club Tijuana’s American legion will have a new coach next season after Argentine Jorge Almirón left the club Sunday in a “cordial and mutual agreement,” according to the club, following Saturday’s 5-0 mauling by Club León.
Almirón guided Xolos to a 10th-place finish this Apertura and helped the club qualify from the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, setting up a quarterfinal against the LA Galaxy next March.
Almirón took over the club in June after former coach Antonio Mohamed left for Argentina after Xolos were knocked out of the Copa Libertadores at the quarterfinal stage, but his stint in charge was hindered by injuries to key players, including US international forward Herculez Gomez, who was out for most of the season.
The Argentine was influential in promoting young American winger Paul Arriola into the first team, but Joe Corona dropped down the pecking order, starting just five of the team’s 17 league games.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. E-mail him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
