With seven goals, Gustavo Bou (pictured) was Club Tijuana’s top scorer in the 2017 Liga MX Apertura. (Photo: Mexsport)
In the third of a series of articles taking a closer look at each of the 16 teams in the 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL), CONCACAF.com goes in-depth on Club Tijuana.
CLUB TIJUANA/MEXICO
By The Numbers
2017 Apertura Record: W6 D3 L8 GF17 GA23
Final Position (Regular Season): 11th Place
Final Position (Playoffs): did not advance to playoffs
Playoff Results: did not advance to playoffs
Top Scorer (Regular Season): Gustavo Bou, 7 goals
Season Summary
It was an uneven season for Club Tijuana, which started with three consecutive defeats and ended with three losses in the last four games, resulting in an 11th place finish -- four points shy of the eighth and final playoff spot.
Season Highlight
After three losses without a goal and four matches overall without a win, a 2-0 victory over visiting Santos on August 18 appeared to be a turning point for the Xolos, who went to capture maximum points in four consecutive matches. The streak skyrocketed to third in the league following a 2-0 victory over Pumas UNAM.
Key Player: Pablo Aguilar
The veteran Paraguayan defender is back with Club Tijuana, where he helped it win the 2012 Apertura title. Aguilar arrived earlier this month after four seasons with Club America, where he won a pair of SCCL titles.
Player to Watch in 2018: Mateus Goncalves
Only Puebla, Veracruz and UNAM scored fewer goals in the 2017 Apertura than Club Tijuana, which managed just 17 in 17 games. To help bolster the attack, Brazilian forward Mateus Goncalves was signed a head of the 2018 Clausura campaign. The speedy 23-year-old, who has two career SCCL goals (both with Pachuca), arrives from Toluca
Fabulous Facts
No team rose up the ranks in the 2017 Apertura more than Xolos, which elevated 15 spots to occupy third midway through the season. Of the 10 teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs, only Necaxa and Lobos BUAP – the ninth- and 10th-place finishers, respectively -- featured as high as third.
SCCL Round of 16 Outlook
Club Tijuana is making its second appearance in the SCCL after reaching the semifinals in 2013/14. If Xolos wants to repeat that feat, a win over Motagua is the first step. Club Tijuana is 2W-0D-0L against Honduran competition in the SCCL, beating Victoria in twice in the 2013/14 group stage.
