This Thursday will take place the first of two “rounds” where the UANL Tigers will receive in the Volcano at Chivas de Guadalajarain search of defining the next champion of the MX League in it Closing 2023.
And, precisely, there is a connection between the feline institution and soccer in the city of saltillo. 21 years ago, during the Summer Tournament 2002 in the First Division “A”the capital of Coahuila was one step away from being able to join for the first time in the now well-known MX League.
The opportunity came when the affiliate of the tigerscalled ocelots, decided that Saltillo would be the venue to represent them in the competition. After having had a brief passage through Juarez Cityan exchange was made with Saltillo Socceradministered at that time by Monterrey residents, according to information collected in local and national media.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU: When and at what time will the 2023 Clausura Final be played? This is how the duel between Chivas and Tigres will be played
It was so that, after being in 13th place in the General Table and earn your pass to repechage of the First Division “A”, Saltillo Ocelots agreed to the reclassification to the league.
In that phase, those led by the legend of tigers, Osvaldo Batocletti and with figures like “Popeye” Olive, aldo de nigris, israel garcia, Juan Manuel Guerra and Angel “Chacho” Garciabeat 5-3 on aggregate score against Bulls Nezato go to the Quarter finals where in a hard-fought series, they triumphed over the Atletico Mexiquense.
Aldo de Nigris was one of the figures of the now extinct Tigrillos de Saltillo.
Later, in the Semifinalthe ocelots they ran over tampico maderoreturning to repeat the score as against nezawinning 5-3 at the end of the two series against the Tamaulipas.
However, the great fall of the team from Saltilla culminated a May 19, 2002. After having thrashed in the first leg (the 16 of the same month and year) 4-1 to royal st louisthe objective of playing in the First Professional Division.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU: Who was Osvaldo Batocletti? The legend of Tigres that he led in Saltillo
The Saltillo Ocelots They did a bad job in the “final-final” and, practically, they didn’t put their hands in when they were crushed by the Potosinos 4-0, being the now St. Louis Athletic who earned his pass to the highest soccer category in Mexico.
And that was how saltillo was one goal away, some extra time and perhaps a series of penalties, from being able to write in history that, at some point, they played in the now well-known MX League.
