Tijuana’s Xoloitzcuintles soccer team is simply miraculous. In its second year in the Mexican premier division the Xolos have made a symbolic, meteoric, and yes, miraculous rise to the finals.
Even before the playoffs, the team’s success was a beacon of hope for city struggling with the real and perceived danger of cartel violence. The Xolos have come to embody a sense of pride and victory for Tijuana.
After losing the first of two semifinal matches, 2-0, it seemed that the Xolos were out. But the U-T San Diego chronicles the team's Cinderella comeback:
Down 2-0 after the first leg and left for dead, the Xolos beat Leon 3-0 to claim the Apertura semifinal series with a 3-2 aggregate and advance to the final against top-seeded Toluca, which eliminated Club America earlier in the day. The first leg will be at Estadio Caliente on Thursday, the return leg in Toluca on Sunday.
Watch the reaction of the Xolos victory at Estadio Caliente.
Fans react to the Xolos' semifinal win
Fans react to the Xolos' semifinal win against Club Leon at Estadio Caliente, November 25th, 2012. Credit: Brooke Binkowski
