Angel Sepulveda (pictured) scored two goals in Queretaro's win over host Club Tjuana in the Liga MX Clausura on April 1, 2016, in Tijuana, Mexico. (Photo: Mexsport)
TIJUANA, México – A 4-2 win over host Club Tijuana in the Liga MX Clausura has injected a shot of confidence into Queretaro.
The boost comes just in time for Tuesday’s Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League semifinal, second-leg encounter at Tigres. Thanks to a scoreless draw in the series opener, Queretaro can advance to the final with a win or a draw with a score of 1-1 or greater.
After falling behind 2-0 at the Estadio Caliente on Friday, the Gallos Blancos stormed back to net four consecutive goals, including two by Angel Sepulveda. It was their best offensive output in a single game this year and head coach Victor Manuel Vucetich could not have been happier.
“Not for the fact of winning, it was our best match,” the 58-year-old said. “There are matches in which we have drawn and played very well. It is a great match, with interesting aspects, like our attitude.
“It comes at an extraordinary moment because on Tuesday there is a vital match.”
The win was Queretaro’s first in six road games this season, lifting it into 14th place and snapping a six-game winless streak.
“We always work to win,” finished Vucetich, a three-time SCCL champion while at the helm of Monterrey. “We knew that Tijuana had not won [at home] and we always work with that objective in mind. We went out with a firm and attitude and we knew how to capitalize.”
Queretaro has two draws in as many meetings with Tigres in 2016, both at home.
