Indios tops Monterrey in La Joya

LA JOYA – The Mexican season doesn’t start until July 25. Based on how both Rayados de Monterrey and Indios played Wednesday night at La Joya, it’s a good thing they still have over a week to get ready.

After a long stretch during which neither team looked likely to score, Indios forward Horacio Gimenez took advantage of a defensive mix-up in the 63rd minute in front of the Monterrey net to score the game’s only goal and give his team the 1-0 win. Though Indios came away from La Joya ISD Stadium with the win, they were outplayed by Monterrey for much of the night.

“We came out with the intentions of winning,” Monterrey defender Gerardo Galindo said through a translator. “It is difficult, with the times we had opportunities. We need to take care of the little things out there and play as a team and come out on top.”

Even though Monterrey did have more chances, the Rayados, with the exception for some stretches, weren’t that much better.

Led by second-half substitute Humberto Suazo, a Chilean international and rumored target of English teams Everton and Sunderland, Monterrey threatened the Indios goal but couldn’t convert for a game-tying score. The Rayados’ best chance came in the 76th minute when the Rayados forward Aldo de Nigris’ re-direction of a cross was stopped by Indios keeper Humberto Lopez with his left foot.

Other than that moment, however, there wasn’t too much to remember from Wednesday night’s game.

Though both teams had some scoring chances, neither forced the opposing goalie into too many challenging saves or maintained long attacks. When the keepers were called upon, the shots they faced were right at their chests or at their feet. Runs from both teams weren’t usually timed quite right, and if they were, the pass was late, inaccurate or never made.

Then again, maybe seeing displays of the so-called “beautiful game” wasn’t the point of Wednesday’s exhibition. With the season less than two weeks away, neither team should have been expected to be at their peak or even try to be.

Instead, the importance might have been just seeing players from the top level of Mexican soccer, players like Reynosa native and Indios midfielder Jorge Arturo Echavarria. Echavarria played the entire 90 minutes, and in the 26th minute, gave Indios one of its better first-half scoring chances when his shot from outside the 18-yard box flew just over the Monterrey goal.

“To get the support from the fans of Indios is important,” Indios forward Rodrigo Fernandes Alflen said though a translator. “It’s good to get their support here.”

Brian Sandalow covers sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.