Soccer News: Coach Romano Releases Joe Corona and Greg Garza, Signs 7 New Players
When Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles introduced its new manager Ruben Roman Romano no one wondered if the team would look totally different a few weeks later. Perhaps a few experts knew this Argentine manager would shake up the roster, but few expected these changes.
Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles will begin the 2015 Apertura season with a handful of new players. The Xolos acquired seven players during the Mexican soccer transfer meetings in Cancun on Wednesday.
The team bolstered its roster by adding midfielders Jose “Chema” Cardenas, Rodrigo Salinas, Diego de Buen, defenders Leiton Jimenez, Uriel Alvarez and Carlos Guzman, and goalkeeper Federico Vilar.
Cardenas comes to Tijuana from Club Leon where he played in 26 matches and scored twice since transferring there in 2014. He previously played for Atlante, Pachuca, Santos Laguna, Monarcas Morelia before heading to Leon. He also had a stint with Club America. Cardenas is a versatile forward that can play as a left wing, using his speed to threaten up and down the flank.
Salinas is a 27-year-old quick player who can also play as a right back. He spent most of his teen years in the Puebla FC youth system. He made his first division debut with Puebla in August of 2008 in a match again Toluca.
The 23-year-old de Buen played with Pachuca FC and Pumas UNAM. He has plenty of experience in the LIGA MX despite being a young midfielder. He played in 14 games during the 2015 Clausura, helping the Tuzos reach the LIGA MX semifinals. He played 473 minutes in that tournament, scoring twice.
Jimenez is a Colombian central defender who joins from Club Tiburones Rojos of Veracruz where he was since 2013. Jimenez is a physical defender who uses his size to stifle offenses. He has the ability to win one-on-one battles and steal a ball to help start a counter attack with his passes from the back line.
Vilar, a 12-year LIGA MX veteran, joins after a season and a half at Atlas FC. He arrived in Mexico to play for Atlante in 2003. He won a league title with Atlante in the Apertura 2007 season.
Guzman joins the squad from Morelia where he played since the Apertura 2011.
25-year-old Alvarez, on a loan from Santos, comes from Dorados where he won a Liga de Ascenso title and promotion to the First Divison in the 2015 Clausura.
The new players report to preseason camp in Mazatlan, which begins July 13. Tijuana opens the LIGA MX 2015 Apertura July 25 at Pachuca FC. Club Tijuana’s first home match is July 31 against Dorados de Sinaloa.
The Xoloitzcuintles also transferred out notable players Wednesday. Veracruz and Atlas FC acquired United States National Team members Joe Corona and Greg Garza, both on loan respectively. Corona, a Sweetwater High and SDSU alumni, was with Club Tijuana since 2010 when the team was in the second division. Garza came to Tijuana in 2012. Both were part of Club Tijuana’s 2012 Apertura championship team. Cirilo Saucedo (Morelia), Richard Ruiz (Cruz Azul), Jesus Chavez (Dorados) and Javier Guemez (Club America) were also officially transferred.
Fans celebrated on both sides of the border when the Xolos were victorious against the Toluca in the final of the Liga MX’s Apertura in 2012 and now – less than three years later — few of those players remain on the team.
What is new coach Ruben Omar Romano’s vision for his team? Will these players perform better for his 5-3-2 preferred line up? Did Romano just want fresh blood or to remove any of the players who could possibly resist his rule?Will he be successful and more importantly – has he alienated fans or created a new buzz for his team? Only time will tell.
CLUB TIJUANA 2015 APERTURA LIGA MX TRANSFER WINDOW ACQUISITIONS:
JOSE MARIA CARDENAS
Position: Forward
Birthday: 4/2/1985
Birth Place: Zacatecas, Mexico
Height: 1.73 m
Weight: 67 kg
RODRIGO SALINAS
Position: Midfielder
Birthday: 5/9/1987
Birth Place: Apizaco, Mexico
Height: 1.80 m
Weight: 78 kg
DIEGO DE BUEN
Position: Midfielder
Birthday: 7/3/1991
Birth Place: Mexico City
Height: 1.82 m
Weight: 75 kg
LEITON JIMENEZ
POSITION: Defender
BIRTHDAY: 4/26/1989
BIRTH PLACE: Jurado, Choco, Colombia
HEIGHT: 1.81 m
WEIGHT: 77 kg
FEDERICO VILAR
POSITION: Goalkeeper
BIRTHDAY: 5/30/1977
BIRTH PLACE: Buenos Aires, Argentina
HEIGHT: 1.81 meters
WEIGHT: 70 kg
CARLOS GUZMAN
POSITION: Defender
BIRTHDAY: 5/19/1994
BIRTH PLACE: Morelia, Mexico
HEIGHT: 1.79 meters
WEIGHT: 70 kg
URIEL ALVAREZ
Position: Defender
Birthday: 5/1/1990
Birth Place: Acapulco, Mexico
Height: 1.78 meters
Weight: 70 kg
