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Xolos win 2-1, advance in Libertadores

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The Tijuana Xolos didn’t qualify for the Liga MX playoffs five months after their historic Mexican title.

But they didn’t run out of magic.

The Xolos continue to carry the flag for Mexico in the Copa Libertadores, traveling 6,000 miles to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and beating Palmeiras 2-1 on Tuesday night in a wild game before a wild crowd to reach the Elite Eight of the annual club championship for the Americas.

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Next up: Ronaldinho and top-seeded Atletico Mineiro of Belo Horizonte in a two-leg series. The first leg likely will be next week at Tijuana’s Estadio Caliente, followed by the Xolos’ third trip to Brazil in 2½ months.

Understand that you just don’t go to Estadio do Pacaembu and win. The Xolos know. They played Corinthians, another of Sao Paulo’s legendary clubs, two months ago in the group stage on this same field before an equally rabid crowd, and lost 3-0.

But Mexico’s lone remaining team in the Copa Libertadores used a combination of luck and grit to build a 2-0 lead, then surrendered a penalty kick and thwarted waves of Palmeiras attacks after a 71st-minute injury to one center back (Javier Gandolfi) and an 84th-minute red card to the other (Pablo Aguilar).

In the first leg two weeks ago at Estadio Caliente, Palmeiras goalkeeper Bruno made one world-class save after another to preserve a scoreless tie. He went from spectacular to spooked Tuesday, conceding a horrific goal in the 27th minute when Duvier Riascos’ slow roller – Tijuana’s only shot of the half – somehow caromed off his right hip and into the net.

It came four minutes after another piece of fortune, when Maikon Leite’s free kick slammed off the underside of Cirilo Saucedo’s crossbar and bounced out.

Tijuana-born Fernando Arce made it 2-0 early in the second half on a rocketed volley from the top of the penalty area following a poor defensive clearance. Palmeiras pulled one back on Souza’s PK in the 62nd minute and appeared to have an equalizer six minutes later, only for it to be controversially ruled offside.

In all, Venezuelan referee Juan Soto issued 12 yellow cards, eight in the first half. In the 32nd minute, Soto showed Tijuana’s Richard Ruiz a red thinking it was his second yellow, then let Ruiz stay after consulting with his assistants and determining he did not have a prior yellow card.

At halftime, Soto had to be escorted off the field by riot police after Palmeiras players swarmed him when he blew his whistle before they could take a corner kick.

Tickets for the Xolos’ exhibition against Club America on July 6 at Petco Park go on sale to the general public on Thursday through Ticketmaster and the Padres box office. A pre-sale for Padres season ticket holders began Tuesday.

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