By FRANCO PANIZO
Club Tijuana was on the brink of leaving Monterrey and heading home for the second leg of their Liga MX playoffs series with a favorable 0-0 draw.
Then, Greg Garza came through with the timeliest of goals to make things even better.
Garza lifted Tijuana to a 1-0 road win over Monterrey in the first leg of their quarterfinals series by scoring a clutch goal in the 86th minute of a match that seemed destined to end scoreless. A shot from a teammate was luckily deflected into Garza’s path, but the 21-year-old did well to place it home from close range to give Xolos a big advantage on aggregate (away goals are counted in Liga MX if a series is even after both legs).
For Garza, the goal was just the second of his fledgling career and came despite him having been on the field for just eight minutes after entering as a substitute.
The former U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team defender, Joe Corona, Edgar Castillo and Tijuana have enjoyed a strong Apertura campaign, and they are hoping it ends with a championship. Xolos host Monterrey in the second leg of the series on Sunday.
Here is Garza’s goal:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IkCpsvFFIw?feature=player_detailpage]
What do you think of Garza’s goal? Do you see it being the decisive strike in this series? Think Xolos have a real shot at winning the Liga MX title?
Share your thoughts below.