Tijuana’s Xolos shocked everyone when they defeated Cruz Azul 3-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal series. Cruz Azul not only came into the match as a team in first place, but also set a points record in the regular season, but were completely dominated from start to finish in a match where they finished with 10 players. Cruz Azul will have the tiebreaker if they win by three goals in the second leg, but they will need to win by three goals to advance to the semi-finals against a Xolos side who look to be halfway to Liga MX’s biggest upset in 2024.

The first half started with Xolos coming out with their best starting 11, while Cruz Azul came out with only Giorgos Giakoumakis on top. Outside the area, Carlos Rotondi scored a right-footed shot that went just wide. After playing a 1 on 1, Jose Zuñiga would make a low shot past Cruz Azul’s goalkeeper Kevin Mier and into the net. The goal would have been ruled offside, but after going to VAR, the referee correctly cleared the goal and Tijuana took a 1-0 lead. Xolos had another 1 on 1, but Kevin Castañeda lobbed his ball over Mier but also wide, wasting a great opportunity. Xolos would have another 1 on 1 when Efrain Alvarez won the ball and went on a run and then fired a low left shot past Mier to score and give Xolos the 2-0 lead. It was a surprising start for the home team as Cruz Azul faltered. After kicking Zuñiga while trying to get the ball, Jorge Sanchez received a red card. Cruz Azul only had ten players left and didn’t want him for the second leg. After receiving the ball in the area, Aaron Mejia scored a left-footed shot that went just wide. After receiving the ball, Emanuel Reynoso made a great run past two defenders and got into the area before lobbed the ball over Mier to score a beautiful goal and give Xolos the 3-0 lead. Tijuana had made a statement in the first half about a Cruz Azul team that was reeling. The halftime whistle blew and Xolos took an impressive lead that had surprised everyone in Mexico.

The second half started with Tijuana taking off Emanuel Reynoso for Fernando Monarrez. Xolos controlled possession while Cruz Azul sat back and tried to counter, probably knowing they had an uphill battle with only ten players left. Tijuana eliminated Kevin Castañeda and Rafael Fernandez for Gilberto Mora and Ivan Tona. Cruz Azul eliminated Giorgos Giakoumakis for Angel Sepulveda. A cross into the area was just reached by Mier before Zuñiga had a heading opportunity from close range. After receiving the ball in the area, Tona came out of a right-footed shot, forcing Mier to make a good save. Tijuana replaces Christian Alvarez and Raul Zuñiga for Joe Corona and Jaime Alvarez. Cruz Azul eliminated Luis Romo and Lorenzo Faravelli for Carlos Rodriguez and Andres Montaño. Tijuana dominated possession against a Cruz Azul team that had the clear mission of not letting the home side score another goal. Cruz Azul replaced Alexis Gutierrez for Gabriel Fernandez. A cross into the penalty area was missed by Mier, but Unai Bilbao failed to get the ball and Mier was able to retrieve it after his mistake. The match ended and a scuffle ensued between some on the bench of both teams, although nothing came of it.

After an inspired regular season, Cruz Azul crashed to Earth on Wednesday night. Xolos, who only qualified through the Play In last Sunday, came as heavy underdogs but surprised Cruz Azul from the start with early goals. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio was well prepared and his longball strategy paid off with a pair of 1v1s, two of which led to goals. To make matters worse, the red card given to Jorge Sánchez not only hurt the team, but it also means he won’t be able to play the second leg. Still, many people believe that a 3-0 score is not enough and because Cruz Azul has the tiebreaker should the overall score end evenly, they are looking forward to it. In the regular season, Cruz Azul won 3-0 against Tijuana and it was a solid home team that scored a lot during the regular season. But with Xolos well prepared and with good weapons for the counter, they could be able to break through the Cruz Azul defense that looked very weak in Tijuana, and which could be more vulnerable as the home team has to attack. It should be a good match on Saturday.