GUADALAJARA, Mexico – There was not a great deal of playing time for US national team potentials playing in Mexico this weekend, with only one completing a full 90 minutes.
That player was Edgar Castillo, who was the only American that featured for Club Tijuana in their 1-0 away victory against Querétaro which kept the Xolos level on points at the top of the league with Toluca, trailing only by goal difference.
It was business as usual for Castillo, patrolling the left flank for Tijuana and putting in another good performance. Fellow US international Joe Corona was left on the bench and didn’t see playing time in the league for the first game this season.
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Michael Orozco Fiscal has been struggling to gets starts over the last month for San Luis – surely a worry with national team World Cup qualifiers coming up – and only got the last 11 minutes of San Luis shutting out Tigres UANL in the Estadio Universitario.
Herculez Gomez didn’t get on the field at all for Santos Laguna, but winger Benji Joya entered in the 69th minute and had a solid performance on the right wing in the team’s 3-1 victory over Atlante.
Another US national team regular, José Torres started on the bench and came on just after the hour mark for Pachuca, who beat Chivas 1-0 to move to within one point of the playoffs.
Jesús Padilla started his second game of the season for Chivas, but was taken off after 60 minutes. Fellow Californian Miguel Ponce also played for Chivas but struck a potential equalizing penalty off the crossbar with just five minutes remaining.
DaMarcus Beasley was one of Puebla’s best players again against Pumas UNAM on Sunday in Mexico City, but his team lost 2-1, with Beasley taken off after 68 minutes. His highlight was beating two players and sending in a dangerous cross in the 11th minute, as Puebla searched for a goal on the counterattack.
In Bolivia, Alejandro Melean helped Oriente Petrolero to a 1-1 draw against Aurora in Bolivia’s first division on Thursday. The game came off the back of the announcement by Bolivia coach Xabier Azkargota on Wednesday that Melean will be part of the Bolivia squad for World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay on Oct. 12 and Oct. 16.
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. Contact him attom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
