FRISCO, Texas -- Throughout their respective histories in the Mexican Primera Division, Tecos de la UAG and CF Pachuca have met on numerous occasions. However, these two sides have never faced each other in InterLiga, something that will change on January 2 at Pizza Hut Park.
This will be each team's second InterLiga appearance. Tecos last played in the event in 2007 when they went 0-1-2. In their first InterLiga match, they played Club America to a 1-1 draw in Houston on January 4. Then, three days later, came a draw to Jaguares in Frisco. Tecos' run ended with a 3-1 loss to Morelia at the Home Depot Center on January 10, 2007.
It was a solid debut for Argentine midfielder Jorge Zamogilny in the recently-concluded Apertura, as he finished with five goals after an offseason transfer from Puebla. Vice-captain Joel "El Tiburon" Sanchez added three goals, while midfielder Rafael Medina had three goals and two assists for Tecos.
Chilean-born striker Rodrigo Ruiz, who returned to the team after a stint on loan at Veracruz, added four goals. Speaking of Medina, he is one player who could step up. During InterLiga 2007, he assisted on two goals and could again be a focal point of the Tecos' attack.
A big concern during the 2008 Apertura was UAG's porous defending. Tecos finished the season with 28 goals allowed, second-worst in the first division, clearly an issue that Pachuca will look to exploit in Frisco.
Despite their issues in the back, Tecos still managed to qualify for the Apertura playoffs. In the opening leg against the club that would later be crowned Apertura champs, UAG played Toluca to a scoreless draw at 3 De Marzo Stadium on November 23, 2008. However, the return leg played a week later at Nemesio Diaz Stadium belonged to Los Diablos Rojos as they prevailed 2-0 and advanced to the league semifinals, where they would face Santos Laguna.
On the other side of the equation sits the Tuzos, the two-time defending CONCACAF Champions League titleholders. They finished 5-6-6 with 25 points and were third in Group One during the 2008 Apertura. Christian Giminez's team-leading eight goals tied him for third among league goal scorers.
The Tuzos' only previous trip to InterLiga came in 2006 when they went 1-1-1. Ironically, Pachuca's match at PHP, on January 8, 2006 against Morelia, was their only win as the Tuzos prevailed 2-1 thanks to goals from Luis Angel Landin and Richard Nunez.
Other key contributors for Pachuca during the Apertura were Argentine midfielder Damian "La Chillindra" Alvarez, who had three assists and veteran goalkeeper Miguel "El Condor" Calero, who also wears the captain's armband.
A player of interest to American soccer fans is 21-year-old midfielder Jose Torres, who is a Texas native. Torres has been with the Tuzos since 2006 and hails from Longview, which is about 2.5 hours from the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. He made his US national team debut on October 11, 2008 in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cuba, and made his first international start four days later against Trinidad and Tobago.
Torres has appeared in Frisco twice with the Tuzos. On July 28, 2007, he was on the bench for Pachuca's 1-1 draw with FC Dallas in SuperLiga 2007 but did not play. However, last July in a SuperLiga 2008 match with Santos Laguna, he started for his side.
This will mark the third time that Pachuca have played in Frisco. On July 28, 2007, they played FC Dallas to a 1-1 draw in SuperLiga 2007, an event the Tuzos ended up winning. A penalty kick by Giminez in the 87th minute denied a win by the home side from MLS.
And on July 20, 2008, Pachuca and Santos Laguna played to a 1-1 draw in SuperLiga '08. A goal by Alvarez in the fourth minute gave them an early lead but a late equalizer by Santos forced them to settle for a tie, which still allowed them to advance.
During the 2008 Apertura, Tecos and Pachuca met just once. That came on November 5, 2008, when the sides met on the Tuzos' home grounds, Hidalgo Stadium, a match that finished in a 2-2 draw. Unlike Tecos, Pachuca failed to qualify for the Apertura playoffs.
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