Xolos defeat Santos Laguna 3-1, but concerns arise of Osorio departure

The Tijuana Xolos played against Santos Laguna this Sunday, August 18, at the Estadio Caliente for a game in the Liga MX 2024 Apertura tournament.

Photo byJeremy Collins/ EVT Sports

Both teams were coming off Leagues Cup elimination in the summer tournament against MLS sides in what was a very uneventful competition.

Manager Juan Carlos Osorio was coming back after a meltdown against LAFC in the Leagues Cup that cost him a suspension. The Colombian manager made his usual adjustments to the starting lineup and went with what looked like a 4-3-3 formation to start the game. The attacking three, consisting of Efrain Alvarez, Domingo Blanco, and Jose Zuniga, was very productive and produced plenty of scoring chances.

The Border City Dogs controlled possession massively in the opening 45 minutes and had nine shots to Santos' four. In the opening minutes, Jose Zuniga was taken down inside the penalty area, and a penalty was called for Xolos. However, a VAR check revered the initial decision, and it is still unclear why the penalty was not awarded after a clear foul inside the box.

15-year-old Gilberto Mora after his Liga MX debut with #Xolos.@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/9ZQQWAeWCW

— Francisco Velasco (@FranciscoEfV) August 19, 2024

The Aztec Canines were the better team, but Santos Laguna came away with the first goal of the game in the 14th minute. Ramiro Sordo sent a cross to the box, and Anthony Lozano was there to head it into the back of the net.

The first ample big scoring opportunity for Club Tijuana came in the 19th minute when a shot by Kevin Castaneda struck the post and went out of bounds. Just a few minutes after that, Juan Carlos Osorio's team was able to tie the match in the 28th minute.

Efrain Alvarez made a spectacular individual play on the right went, then his shot was deflected by Santos' defender Bruno Amione, which fooled Santos' goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo. The ball fell into the back of the net, which was a very deserved goal for Club Tijuana at this point.

The Border City Dogs kept that momentum going and were able to get a lead in the dying minutes of the half. A long ball by defender Unai Bilbao found Jose Zuniga after Santos' center-back Santiago Nunez was unable to control the sphere. Zuniga had a magnificent finish inside of the box to obtain the lead.

Nunez's game went from bad to worse in the second half when he received a red card in the 51st minute. The Argentine center-back made a criminal challenge on Xolos' captain, Christian Rivera. The foul was so harsh that it forced Rivera off the field, and Joe Corona replaced him.

Xolos were even more dominant with the man advantage, but something was missing from the attack. That spark to the offense came from youngsters Jaime Alvarez and Gilberto Mora, who are both Club Tijuana youth academy products.

Despite the huge man advantage, the game was clearly not resolved, but the youngsters helped get that resolved. Gilberto Mora was making his Liga MX debut at just 15 years old and played with the calmness of a seasoned veteran. Mora was generating plenty of offensive play and working very well with his teammates.

Club Tijuana was attacking, but Santos' goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo, along with the post, was denying the Aztec Canines. In the final seconds of the match, Gilberto Mora sent a pass to Jaime Alvarez, who put the game to bed with the 3-1 scorelines. This was a monumental moment for Mora and Alvarez's first Liga MX goal of his young career.

21-year-old Jaime Alvarez after scoring his first-career Liga MX goal. "Truly a dream (to score). When I was in the area there was no other option but to shoot and that's what I obviously decided to do."@EVT_News pic.twitter.com/FlNTJnVnrB

— Francisco Velasco (@FranciscoEfV) August 19, 2024

Alvarez talked about scoring his first Liga MX goal, Alvarez said, "Truly a dream (to score). When I was in the penalty area, there was no other option but to shoot, and that's what I obviously decided to do. I'm very happy to accomplish this dream, especially with the Xolos fans and my mom here. I appreciate my life and the opportunities I have received."

This victory was an important one for Club Tijuana after a disastrous Leagues Cup campaign. However, now there is serious concern that manager Juan Carlos Osorio may leave the club to pursue the Costa Rica national team job. The Colombian manager confirmed that he has made contact with someone about the job, and there is a clause in his contract that allows him to pursue this job.

There are serious concerns that Juan Carlos Osorio may leave #Xolos to pursue the Costa Rica 🇨🇷 national team job. He confirms contact has been made. There is a clause in his contract that allows him to leave for a NT. Video: @Saidgol @EVT_News pic.twitter.com/8uG5gQjRMA

— Francisco Velasco (@FranciscoEfV) August 19, 2024

This was a very positive result for Club Tijuana, especially with the younger players rising to the occasion, but now the concern for Osorio is there. The Border City Dogs have two more consecutive home games, facing Monterrey on August 23 and Leon on August 30.