Tigres drew 1-1 at home against the United States on Thursday in the first leg of the Apertura-2023 Mexican soccer tournament finals played at the Universitario de Nuevo León Stadium (North).
The U.S. squandered the first clear-cut chance in the 28th minute when winger Miguel Layón popped up in the Tigres area and finished off the game with a deflected shot.
On 45+3, Chilean Diego Valdez redeemed the Cats with a forehand shot into the area that went wide of the left post.
As the second half began, Argentina goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán saved Tigres in the 46th by deflecting a shot from outside the area by Colombian Julian Quinones.
Two minutes later, Quinones earned a penalty in favor of the U.S. when he received a kick from defender Jesus Angulo in the area.
Henry Martin took a penalty in the 51st minute and made it 1-0 to Aguilas with a touch to the left of ‘Paton’ Guzmán who chased him down the opposite side.
Tigres leveled the score at 71 when Sebastian Cordova headed in a corner kick from the left and the ball went into the American zone, where Oziel Herrera stunned to make it 1-1.
The second leg will be played on Sunday at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City at 7:30pm local time (01:30 GMT on Monday).
TIGERS VS AMERICA TIME
- If you are in Colombia: 10:00 pm
- If you are in Argentina: Friday 00:00 hrs
- If you are in Peru: 10:00 pm
- If you are in Mexico: 9:00 pm
- If you are in Ecuador: 10:00 pm
- If you are in Bolivia: 11:00 pm
- If you are in Venezuela: 11:00 pm
- If you are in Chile: Friday 00:00
- If you are in Paraguay: Friday 00:00 hrs
- If you are in Uruguay: Friday 00:00 hrs
- If you are in Brazil: Friday 00:00
- If you are in Spain: Friday 04:00
- If you are in the US: 10:00 PM (Miami)
Tigers VS America channels
The Tigres – America final will be watched on TUDN, Channel 5, TV Azteca and ViX Premium.
How is America coming?
Starting this Thursday, Los Aguilas will have the chance to cement themselves as the best team in Mexican football by challenging champions Tigres UANL at the start of the Apertura 2023 tournament final.
The US will be looking for their fourteenth league title in their history against the Cats, which would cement them as the most successful team in the country, ahead of their biggest rivals Chivas del Guadalajara with 12 trophies.
Among journalists and football fans, Águilas is believed to be the biggest club in the country, as it has one of the biggest fans, along with its biggest rival, Chivas del Guadalajara, but only that. Every competition needs a title.
An example was in the second leg of the Apertura semi-final against San Luis, when the USA took a 5–0 lead by winning the first leg by that score, but went 0–0 in the second game of the series. He fell to 2. Home, the Azteca Stadium and his fans booed him as if the defeat had knocked them out of the competition.
Aguilas’ rival in the Apertura 2023 final is the country’s most successful this century, with six titles in the last 12 years and a runner-up finish at the Club World Cup in 2020.
To win, the U.S., led by Brazilian Andre Jardine, will turn to its stats led by Diego Valdez, who had eight goals and two assists in the Apertura. Along with Chile, Jardine has a squad that features Uruguayan center back Sebastian Caceres, Spanish midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo and Colombian striker Julian Quinones.
With this arsenal, Jardin guided Aguilas to a third straight title above Tigres, knocking out CONCACAF representative Leon in the Club World Cup in the quarter-finals and San Luis in the semi-finals.
How do tigers come?
Uruguayan coach Robert Dante Ciboldi’s Tigres UANL will be looking for a ninth league title this week in an attempt to explode the discourse of Mexican soccer that says they are not part of the big teams.
With six league titles in the last 12 years and a sub-title at the 2020 Club World Cup, the Cats are the winningest team in Mexico this millennium.
Ciboldi came in as a rising coach in the last Clausura when the Cats were in crisis following the resignation of Argentine Diego Coca, who left the post to lead Mexico. The Uruguayan qualified the team to the quarter-finals and from there he did not stop until he won the title.
Tigres showed the best football in the decisive phase of the championship, confirmed in the current Apertura, beating Puebla in the best eight stage and Pumas UNAM in the semifinals.
With a full squad, Tigres, the 2015 Copa Libertadores finalists, have everything to stop the United States, which, despite being the better attacking and safer defensive side, left the field last Sunday after losing 0-2 amid whistles from its fans. At home against humble San Luis, they were eliminated with a 0–5 first leg win.
Argentina goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán is the best in the league, a safe defense led by Brazilian Samir and Argentine Guido Pizarro, a midfield featuring the likes of Uruguayan Fernando Coriarán and Mexican Sebastian Cordova, and a French-led forward line. Andre Pierre Gignac makes Tigres dream of the title.
Gignac is only one target away from reaching 200 runs with the Tigers, but he will focus more on quality than quantity. Scoring a double hundred will make your day, but your greatest joy is scoring the goal that gives your team the title.
The Frenchman is recovering from injury, but if he isn’t there, Ciboldi has the Gunners of Argentina’s Nicolás Ibanez, Colombian Luis Quiñones and Mexican Ozil Herrera.
Although the United States will be the toughest competition Tigres will face, Ciboldi’s team will be very good at reaching the finals. If he succeeds, he will once again question the discourse of soccer in Mexico, according to which big people aren’t so big.
Tigers VS USA win | liked
TIGERS VS USA FIXTURES
- Tigers: Guzman, J. Aquino, S. De Sousa, R. De Sousa, J. Angulo, Vicon, Coriaran, Cordova, Lainez, Gignac and N. Ibanez. (to be confirmed)
- USA: Malacon, Alvarez, Lichnowski, Caceres, Fuentes, Dos Santos, Fidalgo, Zendejas, Valdes, Quinones, Martin. (to be confirmed)
