GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Herculez Gomez netted his first Liga MX goal since March 2013 on Saturday to put Tigres 2-0 up against city rival Monterrey, but Los Rayados came from behind to tie the Clásico Regio 2-2.
Gomez struck five minutes before halftime, when he received the ball inside the left hand corner of he penalty area, set himself and curled a right-foot shot beyond the ‘keeper and into the far right corner of the net.
The goal put Tigres in the driving seat, but two second half goals from Monterrey – the second after Gomez came off in the 64th – rescued a point for the home side in Estadio Tecnológico.
Jose Torres played the full 90 minutes for Tigres filling in at left back, with usual starter Jorge Torres Nilo out injured.
The result leaves both teams on 24 points and on the brink of making the playoffs, with three regular season games still to play for Tigres.
For Atlas, Edgar Castillo completed yet another match in its 2-1 win in Estadio Jalisco over Puebla, with Michael Orozco playing 90 minutes for La Franja at right back.
Castillo featured at left back and kept up his record of playing every minute of Atlas’ regular season so far.
The win means Los Rojinegros are qualified for the Apertura 2014 playoffs, barring a freak sequence of results in the next few weeks.
In Mexico’s second division on Saturday, goalkeeper Austin Guerrero kept a clean sheet as Altamira secured a 1-0 victory on the road against Irapuato.
US U-23 international left back Juan Pablo Ocegueda went 90 in Alebrijes de Oaxaca’s 1-1 home draw against Coras FC.
Elsewhere, Emanuel Guzman’s Mérida completed the full match against Dorados and Stevie Rodriguez, who went 75 minutes, in Saturday’s 1-1 tie.
On Friday, Marco Vidal started and finished the match for Mineros de Zacatecas, who lost 2-1 against Zacatepec, while Daniel Cuevas started his second consecutive game for Lobos BUAP, but his side fell 1-0 to Atlante, for whom Sonny Guadarrama went 29 minutes.
