The Colombian Mauro Manotas and the Ecuadorian Eryc Castillo scored this Thursday the goals that guided the Tijuana away win 0-2 over Atlas at the beginning of the sixteenth day of the Mexican opening. Tijuana, already eliminated, remained with 12 points in the last place of the classification. The Atlas continued in second place with 26 and on the seventeenth day, the last of the regular phase, their direct pass to the quarterfinals will be played, which will be obtained by the first four positioned in the table.
Without dominating possession of the ball, Tijuana was the most dangerous team in the first half. In the 13th minute, Manotas fired a ball that was stopped by his compatriot Camilo Vargas and immediately the Colombian Brayan Angulo made a header that went near the post. The push from the visitors paid off in minute 34. In a counterattack, Argentine Lucas Rodríguez, from the left, entered the area and crossed a serve that with his right leg Handcuffs became 0-1.
The Rojinegros left from the first minutes of the second half in search of a draw, but bad judgment prevented the locals’ goal. In 67, Aldo Rocha and then Luis Reyes crashed a pair of shots off the post. The failures of the Atlas opened the door for Tijuana to liquidate the game in another defensive oversight by its rivals. In 1977, the Ecuadorian Fidel Martínez assisted his compatriot Castle, who crossed the ball to Vargas for the 0-2.
Matchday sixteen will resume on Friday with the visit of Mazatlán FC to Necaxa and Puebla to Juárez FC. On Saturday, Querétaro will host Santos Laguna, Pachuca will host Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL will host Chivas de Guadalajara. On Sunday the day will end when Toluca will host León, the champion Cruz Azul of the leader América of Argentine coach Santiago Solari and San Luis de los Rayados de Monterrey of coach Javier Aguirre.
