By IVES GALARCEP
If you were under the impression that defending Liga MX champion Club Tijuana were enjoying another good season, you couldn’t really be blamed. The Xolos played extremely well in Copa Libertadores, advancing to the Round of 16 out of a group that they were expected to be overwhelmed by.
Not all has been positive for Club Tijuana though. The month of March was a rough one in Liga MX play, with the defending champs finishing winless with just one point from four matches. That slump has caused the Xolos to slide all the way to ninth place in the league standings, thus putting a serious dent into their chances of pulling off a repeat in the Clausura campaign.
Manager Antonio Mohamed responded by resting starters for last week’s Copa Libertadores draw vs. San Jose of Bolivia, a move made in order to give the Xolos rest heading into Saturday’s showdown vs. Santos Laguna, a team that could be vulnerable after having to play a mid-week CONCACAF Champions League match (a 1-0 win vs. Seattle).
March was a much better month for the Guerreros. They finished 3-1, and only a stoppage time own goal in last week’s draw vs. Queretaro kept them from a perfect month. That strong rally helped Santos Laguna climb all the way to fourth place in Liga MX, putting them in prime position to challenge for the title.
Club Tijuana-Santos Laguna isn’t the only clash worth keeping an eye on this weekend in Mexico. Club America is still within striking distance of first-place UANL Tigres and a win vs. Puebla could help push them closer to first place. DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Orosco Fiscal and Puebla are currently fifth from bottom in Liga MX, but they are actually just three points from a valuable Top Eight place.
Here is a rundown of this weekend’s schedule in Liga MX, complete with TV listings:
LIGA MX SCHEDULE (Clausura Week 13)
TONIGHT
9:30pm- Azteca America- Chiapas vs. Chivas Guadalajara
SATURDAY
7pm- UniMas- Club America vs. Puebla
7pm- Queretaro vs. Cruz Azul
9pm- Pachuca vs. UNAM Pumas
9pm- UniMas- UANL Tigres vs. Leon
11pm- Atlas vs. Morelia
Midnight- Galavision- Club Tijuana vs. Santos Laguna
SUNDAY
6pm- UniMas- Toluca vs. Monterrey
7pm- Atlante vs. San Luis