GUADALAJARA, Mexico – As of Fiday, not a single Liga MX team with American players is sitting in playoff position. But Club Tijuana, Tigres UANL and Puebla all are looking to change that this weekend.
Xolos kick off Friday evening with Herculez Gomez hoping for his second league start of an injury-hit Apertura season against Atlante at Estadio Caliente (11:30 pm ET, Azteca America, ESPN Deportes).
Edgar Castillo, Joe Corona, Greg Garza and Paul Arriola are also in the frame for minutes, with Tijuana four points off the playoff places with only two rounds of games remaining.
On Saturday, Jose Torres’ Tigres face León at home (9 pm ET, Univision Deportes) and – only one point behind seventh-place Chiapas and eighth-place Querétaro – have the best chance of reaching the postseason.
Up next Sunday, it's Michael Orozco Fiscal and DaMarcus Beasley, who are both likely to start for Puebla at Estadio Cuauhtémoc against Pachuca (1 pm ET, Azteca America, ESPN Deportes). Like Xolos, La Franja are four points off the playoff positions and are looking for the win and other results to fall their way.
In Mexico’s second division, Sonny Guadarrama and Ventura Alvarado are in action on Friday as their Necaxa are at Universidad de Guadalajara and could secure a playoff spot with a victory (10:30 pm ET).
Jesus Padilla’s Dorados host Celaya looking to move up from eighth place (Saturday, 10 pm ET), while Marco Vidal’s Lobos BUAP have slipped recently and need a win Saturday at Altamira (10 pm ET).
In Honduras, Estudiantes de La Plata loanee Kevin Hoyos and his Victoria side travel to Parrillas One on Saturday (5 pm ET), while FC Dallas loanee Moises Hernandez’s Saprissa, in Costa Rica, take on Herediano on Friday (10 pm ET).
Finally, down in Brazil, Freddy Adu’s Bahia head south to Porto Alegre to face Gremio (Sunday, 2 pm ET).
Tom Marshall covers Americans playing in Latin America for MLSsoccer.com. E-mail him at tom.marshall.mex@gmail.com.
