By Jon Arnold
The players who suit up for the LA Galaxy and Club Tijuana in this week’s Leagues Cup matchup may know the name Paul Arriola. They may even see him as a good example to follow, with the 30-year-old putting together a long career that included a stopover in Europe and 50 caps for the senior U.S. men’s national team that includes two Gold Cup wins.
But it is unlikely they remember the frustration the Galaxy felt back in 2013 when Arriola opted to leave the LA Galaxy academy and sign with Club Tijuana rather than stay in MLS. Those were the glory days for Tijuana, and it felt like Arriola’s decision would kick off a wave of players from Southern California looking south rather than north when deciding which club to play with.
Others did follow the path of Arriola, now a Seattle Sounders player but rehabilitating an injury that will keep him from competing in Leagues Cup. But it also was a wake-up call for the Galaxy. The rivalry continues in the youth ranks with new entrants. LAFC also has snapped up several top prospects, and MLS expansion team San Diego FC carefully located its headquarters near the border with Tijuana to allow it to comply with FIFA regulations for signing youth players from another country - planning to scout for future talent in Baja California.
On the field, the rivalry continues as well, with Xolos set to meet the Galaxy on Thursday at Dignity Health Sports Park. Both teams find themselves in a transition moment and will see the Leagues Cup as the best opportunity to return to the Concacaf Champions Cup, hoping to make a run at a top four place in the first phase and getting a couple results to earn a top-three finish.
To do that, a win in the opening match is almost obligatory, not only earning a full three points but also setting the tone for what each hopes is a new moment in what has, thus far, been a difficult year.
Their previous encounter in an official tournament came in the 2013-14 Concacaf Champions Cup, when the teams played a much-anticipated quarterfinal. Much of the squad that helped Tijuana to the 2012 Apertura title was still in town, and less than a year removed from a famous run to the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores.
The Galaxy were coming off the 2012 MLS Cup title and would go on to lift another MLS championship in 2014. Landon Donvan and Robbie Keane led the attack with Omar Gonzalez anchoring the back line in front of Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo.
That defense kept Xolos off the board in the first leg, with Brazilian forward Samuel scoring to give the Galaxy a 1-0 edge ahead of the short trip south to Estadio Caliente. But there it was all Tijuana, with Jaime Ayovi scoring a double before the 10th minute and Dario Benedetto adding another goal in the first half-hour to take the wind out of the Galaxy’s sails.
Despite a Keane double in the second half, Xolos finished the night with a 4-2 home win and a 4-3 aggregate victory to move into the semifinals.
With the teams’ strong form, the geographical closeness and the continual fight for the top youth talent in the region, it seemed a rivalry would develop between the two teams. Yet, Xolos haven’t been able to replicate the heights of that era. And the Galaxy had a 10-year gap between their 2014 MLS Cup win and last year’s triumph. That made it unlikely for the teams to cross outside of a friendly, with one 2019 meeting resulting in a Galaxy penalty win the only other time the teams met.
Now, Tijuana is putting its confidence in 16-year-old rising star Gilberto Mora, asking him to pull the strings in attack. The Galaxy have struggled after their MLS Cup win, losing Riqui Puig to an ACL injury suffered in the playoffs last season and also have seen absences for Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil, Maya Yoshida and other key players.
Still, the Galaxy have just one loss in their last five matches and are hoping to take advantage of the chance Leagues Cup affords them to seek silverware and a return to the CCC. Xolos, too, would love to get a win they can build off and try to vault back into international competition.
Thursday’s game is the renewal of a fledgling rivalry, perhaps the type of contest that will be a jumping-off point for teams to see each other more often given their history, their closeness and their desire to find the best talent in the area.
