Club America’s perfect start to season evaporated following a 3-0 loss to Tigres at the Estadio Azteca on Saturday.
Throughout the first half, Tigres kept pushing forward and calculating plays from the midfield to begin working on America’s defense. Near the 37-minute mark, Javier Aquino finally scored the coveted first goal of the season for Tigres with flashy substance. After retrieving a blocked shot by Hugo Gonzalez, Aquino measured a shot parallel to the left side of the post and darted the ball into the goal off the top right part of the goalpost.
From then on, the challenge of matching Tigres grew larger. During stoppage time in the first half, Renato Ibarra left America one man down after his elbow made contact with Juninho’s head to inspire a red card.
Tigres then made use of its extra man with Andre-Pierre Gignac scoring his first goal of the season by chipping the ball past Gonzalez in minute 59 for a 2-0 lead.
The player advantage continued to show its significant effect on the game with America struggling to keep the ball on its opponent’s side of the field. Silvio Romero had a chance to head in a goal to cut the Tigres lead by one with 15 minutes left in regulation, but his attempt went over the crossbar.
With one minute left in the game, Ismael Sosa took a pass from Gignac and delivered the final blow of the game.
America’s defeat leaves the team with six points and Tigres bumps up to five after consecutive draws in its previous two matches. Club America plays its first away game next Friday versus Veracruz at Estadio Luis Fuente while Tigres moves on to face Chiapas Saturday night at Estadio Universitario.