Club Tijuana facts for kids
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| Full name | Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Xolos El Xolaje (The Xolos-Crowd in Mexican Spanish) La Jauría (The Pack) |
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| Founded | January 14, 2007 | |||
| Ground | Estadio Caliente Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico |
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| Capacity | 29,333 | |||
| Owner | Grupo Caliente | |||
| Chairman | Jorge Hank Inzunsa | |||
| Manager | Juan Carlos Osorio | |||
| League | Liga MX | |||
| Clausura 2023 | Regular phase: 15th Final phase: Did not qualify |
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Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, often called Tijuana or just Xolos, is a professional football club from Tijuana, Mexico. They play in Liga MX, which is the top football league in Mexico. Their home games are played at Estadio Caliente. The club started on January 14, 2007. Their special badge shows a hairless dog called a xoloitzcuintle, named Hermoso, which belonged to the club's founder, Jorge Hank.
The team won the 2010 Apertura Tournament in the Mexican Promotion League. This win helped them get promoted to the top league, the 2011 Apertura Tournament. In 2012, they won their first major title in the 2012 Apertura Tournament of Liga MX.
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Club History
Club Tijuana is one of the newer football teams in the city of Tijuana. Before them, there was a team called Gallos Caliente in 2006, but it didn't last long. Then, some business people from Tijuana bought another team, Guerreros de Tabasco, and moved it to Tijuana. That's how Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente was born.
The team and its owner decided to build a brand new stadium called Estadio Caliente. It was planned to hold over 33,000 fans. Jorge Alberto Hank, the son of the club's owner, became the team's President.
Rising to the Top League
The Xolos worked hard to reach Mexico's top football league. They won a big game at home against Irapuato with a score of 2–1 on May 21, 2011. This victory meant they were promoted to the Primera División de México, which is now known as Liga MX.
Jorge Alberto Hank and Gog Murguia Fernandez, who was the vice president, were very young leaders in Mexican football history. They led the club into the top division.
Winning Their First Big Title
The team won its first major title in the Apertura 2010 tournament. They finished first in the regular season, which gave them a direct spot in the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the Xolos played against Albinegros de Orizaba. Both games ended 0–0, but because Tijuana had a better record in the regular season, they moved on to the final.
In the final, they played against the Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz. Tijuana surprised everyone by winning the first game 2–0 in Veracruz. Then, they won again 1–0 at their home stadium. This victory earned Tijuana a spot in the promotion final for the top Mexican football league.
Promotion to Liga MX
The final game to decide who would get promoted was between Tijuana and Irapuato. The first game, played in Tijuana, ended in a 1–1 tie. The second game was in Irapuato, and Irapuato won 1–0, becoming the champion of the Clausura 2011.
However, since Tijuana had won the Apertura 2010 title, they still had a chance in the Promotion Final, again against Irapuato. The first game of this final was a 0–0 draw. The second game, played at Tijuana's Estadio Caliente, was the decider. Club Tijuana won 2–1 and was crowned champion of the Promotion Final! This meant Tijuana replaced Necaxa as the newest team in Mexico's top league, Liga MX.
First Season in Liga MX
For their first season in the top league, Tijuana signed some new players like José Sand, Leandro Augusto, and Dayro Moreno.
Tijuana's first game in the 2011–12 season was a 2–1 loss at home to Morelia. An American player, Joe Corona, scored the club's first goal in the top league during that game. They got their first win on August 6, beating Santos Laguna 3–1. However, after not winning at home for five games, their manager Joaquin del Olmo was replaced by Antonio Mohamed.
In the 2012 Clausura tournament, Tijuana did much better. They had the best defense in the league, letting in only eleven goals in 17 games. They finished with seven wins, seven draws, and only three losses. This earned them their first spot in the playoffs, where they lost to Monterrey.
Apertura 2012 Champions
The Xolos continued to have a strong defense in the 2012–13 Liga MX season. In the 2012 Apertura, they allowed the fewest goals, just 15, and finished tied for first place with Toluca. In the playoffs, they beat Monterrey and then came back from being down 2–0 against León in the semi-finals.
They won the final against Toluca with a total score of 4–1 over two games. This made them champions in the shortest time ever after being promoted to the top league in Mexican history!
In the next tournament, the Clausura, Xolos finished 10th and didn't make the playoffs. But they were invited to play in the 2013 Copa Libertadores, a big international tournament. They made it all the way to the quarter-finals before losing to Atlético Mineiro.
The Stadium: Estadio Caliente
The Estadio Caliente is the home stadium for Club Tijuana. It's located in Tijuana, Baja California. The stadium officially opened on November 11, 2007, with a game between Club Tijuana and Pumas Morelos. Back then, it could hold 13,333 people.
The main reason the stadium owner, Jorge Hank Rhon, built it was because he wanted a professional football club in Tijuana. To be in Mexico's top league, a team needs a stadium that can hold more than 15,000 fans. So, in July 2009, the stadium's capacity was increased to 16,000, making Club Tijuana eligible for promotion.
The stadium was built in two main parts. The first part completed the main field and lower seating areas. The second part focused on increasing the number of seats. The club added 4,000 more seats, bringing the capacity to 20,000. They also improved the players' locker rooms and the parking lot. New stadium lights were also installed.
Club's Vision for the Future
What started as a passion for football for Jorge Hank Rhon has grown into a big plan for the club. His son, Jorge Alberto Hank Inzunza, who is the President of Club Tijuana, and co-owner Alberto Murguia Orozco, have big goals. They want the club to be more than just a team and a stadium.
Their plans include:
- Opening football schools and clinics in the region, even in places like San Diego and Los Angeles.
- Providing professional football training.
- Finding new talented players.
- Having teams in different divisions (1st, 2nd, and 3rd).
- Supporting good causes and environmental campaigns.
- Developing a large commercial area around the stadium.
Team Leaders
The current head coach for Club Tijuana is Juan Carlos Osorio. The chairman of the club is Jorge Hank Inzunsa.
Players
Club Tijuana has a team of talented players from different countries. They work together to compete in Liga MX and other tournaments.
Reserve Teams
Club Tijuana also has reserve teams. One of them is Xolos Hermosillo, which plays in the Liga TDP. This is the fourth level of the Mexican football league system. These teams help younger players develop their skills and get ready for the main squad.
Records
Here are some of the top players in Club Tijuana's history:
Most Goals Scored
| Rank | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Raul Enriquez |
81 |
| 2 |  Dayro Moreno |
47 |
| 3 | Duvier Riascos |
23 |
| 4 |  Dario Benedetto |
21 |
| 5 |  Fidel Martínez |
21 |
Most Appearances
| Rank | Name | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Javier Gandolfi |
243 |
| 2 | Juan Carlos Núñez |
221 |
| 3 | Richard Ruiz |
191 |
| 4 | Raul Enriquez |
190 |
| 5 |  Joe Corona |
180 |
Honours
Club Tijuana has won some important titles:
National Titles
| Type | Competition | Titles | Winning seasons | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Top division |
Liga MX | 1 | Apertura 2012 | – |
| Copa MX | 0 | – | 2019–20 | |
| Promotion divisions | Primera División A/Liga de Ascenso | 1 | Apertura 2010 | Clausura 2009, Clausura 2011 |
| Campeón de Ascenso | 1 | 2010–11 | – |
Women's Section
Club Tijuana also has a women's football team, Club Tijuana (Women). It was started in 2014. They used to play in the US-based Women's Premier Soccer League and the Liga Mayor Femenil. In their first year, they even became Mexican national champions! Since 2017, the women's team has been playing in the Liga MX Femenil, which is the top women's football league in Mexico.
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See also
In Spanish: Club Tijuana para niños
