Tracking Toluca: Diablos Rojos slump to third straight shutout loss

Sporting Kansas City and Deportivo Toluca FC are on a collision course, the outcome of which will be decided when the clubs meet in the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Round of 16. Sporting will host the first leg of the aggregate-goal series on Feb. 21 at Children’s Mercy Park (get your tickets here) before venturing to Mexico for the decisive second leg on Feb. 28.
In the buildup to this titanic battle, SportingKC.com will provide weekly updates on Los Diablos Rojos as part of the site’s Tracking Toluca series. For more information about North America’s premier club tournament, visit our 2019 Champions League page.

Deportivo Toluca FC slumped to their third straight shutout defeat on Saturday night, falling 2-0 to Tijuana at Estadio Caliente.

After vaulting to the Liga MX summit with two convincing wins to start the Clausura campaign, los Diablos Rojos have dropped to 11th after seeing their scoreless streak hit 280 minutes against a Tijuana side that thoroughly deserved its home victory.

In their most flawed performance of the season, Toluca were outshot 15-7 and failed to put a single attempt on target. Goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera was forced to make a season-high six saves and center back Omar Tobio received a straight red card in second-half stoppage time to add further misery to the evening.

Interestingly enough, both Tijuana goals came from former MLS players. Miller Bolanos, who plied his trade for Chivas USA in 2012 and 2013, slotted home in the 14th minute off a low cross from Omar Mendoza. Just before the half-hour mark, Toluca waisted their best chance of the first half when Emmanuel Gigliotti set Felipe Pardo free down the right flank, only for the winger to lash his shot high and wide of the near post.

The visitors were awarded a penalty kick in the 60th minute when Bolanos fouled Enrique Triverio inside the box, but Toluca captain Antonio Rios smashed his attempt off the goalpost to extend his side’s goalless drought.

Former MLS star Fabian Castillio doubled Xolos’ advantage in the 68th minute. The Colombian winger, who bagged 34 goals in 159 MLS appearances from 2011-2016, settled a pass from Edso Alvarado and picked out the far corner with a neat finish to seal the result. Toluca had already been beaten by the time Tobio was sent off on the cusp of full time.

Toluca Lineup

Toluca's lineup featured just one change from last weekend's 1-0 home loss to Tigres UANL, as manager Hernan Cristante gave Argentine forward Emmanuel Gigliotti his first start for the club in place of 20-year-old Diego Abella.

Through the first month of the Liga MX season, Cristante appears to have settled on a back four of Tobio, Jonatan Maidana, Santiago Garcia and Rodrigo Salinas as well as the deep-lying midfield pairing of Antonio Rios and William. Club legend Alfredo Talavera remains ever-present between the posts, while the front four has been more tinkered with—either for tactical or injury reasons. 

Winger Alexis Canelo, an integral piece of Toluca’s attack since 2017, fractured his fibula in training on Jan. 23 and has been ruled out indefinitely, but Pablo Barrientos has bounced back from a recent ailment and entered as a substitute Saturday night.

Starting XI in 4-2-3-1 formation (R-L): Alfredo Talavera; Rodrigo Salinas, Jonatan Maidana, Omar Tobio, Santiago Garcia; Antonio Rios, William (Leonel Lopez 62); Felipe Pardo (Alan Medina 73), Emmanuel Gigliotti, Luis Mendoza (Pablo Barrientos 56); Enrique Triverio

Subs not used: GK Luis Garcia, DF Osvaldo Gonzalez, DF Adrian Mora, MF Carlos Esquivel

Up Next

Desperate to snap out of their funk, Toluca returns to the pitch next Sunday, Feb. 10, to host ninth-place Cruz Azul (2-1-2, 8 points) at Estadio Nemesio Diez. Kickoff is slated for noon CT as los Diablos Rojos square off against the reigning Copa MX champions, who notably eliminated Sporting KC from the 2013-14 Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals en route to winning the tournament.

Toluca Statistics (2019 Liga MX Clausura)

Record: 2-3-0, 6 points (1-1-0 home; 1-2-0 away)
Table: 11th in Liga MX
Goals for: 5
Goals against: 5

Goalkeeping

2019 Toluca Schedule and Results