Santos Laguna vs. Juárez: A brief history

While today is the first time that Santos Laguna has faced off against FC Juárez in Liga MX play, it’s not the first time that Santos has faced a team from Ciudad Juárez. The first time was December 29, 1988 when Santos hosted Cobras de Ciudad Juárez in Los Guerreros’ first season in the top division. The match wound up in a 0-0 draw at the old Estadio Corona. Santos would wind up winning two, drawing three, and losing three to Cobras before Cobras were relegated from the Primera División at the end of the 1992 season. Cobras de Ciudad Juárez ceased to exist in 1994, being reborn as a feeder club to Monterrey in the Invierno 2001 before disappearing for good in 2005.

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There wouldn’t be another opponent from Juárez until the Apertura 2008 tournament when Club de Fútbol Indios Ciudad Juárez made it to the Primera División. Santos’ first match against Indios was on August 17, 2008. Santos won handily, downing Indios 3-0 at the original Estadio Corona. Christian “El Chucho” Benítez, Fernando Arce, and Walter Jiménez were the goalscorers that day, with the great Oswaldo Sánchez in goal for Santos. Indios would remain in the Primera División until the end of the Bicentenario 2010 before being relegated. Due to financial hardships in part brought about by being relegated to the Segunda División, Indios was disbanded at the end of 2011. Santos’ final record against Indios was two wins and two draws, never having lost or conceded a goal to the Juarense.

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Santos has also faced this incarnation of FC Juárez before, albeit in the Copa MX tournament. The first match against Los Bravos was at Estadio Corona TSM on July 27, 2016 in the Copa MX 2016 Apertura tournament. That match ended in a 1-1 draw, with current Cruz Azul forward Jonathan “Cabecita” Rodríguez scoring the lone goal for Santos in the 19th minute and current Juárez forward Leandro Carrijo equalizing in the 86th for the visitors.