TLAXCALA, Mexico (Interstat) — Tlaxcala scored four goals and pulled away from visiting Cancún for a 4-1 victory in a Liga de Expansión MX match at Estadio Tlahuicole on Sunday. The home side trailed after Cancún struck first, but Tlaxcala took control after halftime and eventually turned a tight contest into a decisive win. Tlaxcala improved to 3 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws in the competition and across all competitions, while Cancún moved to 4 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws in the competition and across all competitions.

Cancún opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Christopher Trejo found the net. The visiting side held that lead into the second half, but Tlaxcala equalized in the 68th minute through midfielder Erick Robles. Robles, who played the full 90 minutes, scored his second goal of the match in the 90th minute plus eight minutes of stoppage time. Miguel Ramírez, another Tlaxcala midfielder, scored in the 87th minute after entering the match and playing 30 minutes. Robles also received a yellow card in the 58th minute.

The match grew physical and contentious. Cancún’s Luis Bustillos was booked in the 16th minute, and Tlaxcala’s Edson Santos was cautioned in the 19th. Trejo received a yellow card in the 38th minute, Robles was booked in the 58th, and Cancún’s Rodrigo Reyes was cautioned in the 85th. Tlaxcala played the closing stages with 10 men after Edson García was sent off in the 81st minute. Despite the disadvantage, Tlaxcala added late goals through Ramírez and Robles to seal the result.

Cancún’s Trejo had given the visitors an early lift, but the goal was not enough to withstand Tlaxcala’s second-half pressure. Tlaxcala’s midfield production proved decisive. Robles finished with two goals and a yellow card in 90 minutes, while Ramírez scored once in 30 minutes. The home side’s late surge turned a one-goal deficit into a comfortable margin and handed Cancún a road loss in league play. The result gave Tlaxcala a needed home win and left Cancún searching for consistency on the road.

Cancún entered the match after a 3-0 home win over Oaxaca, a 1-1 draw at Dorados and a 2-2 draw at Correcaminos. Earlier in the season, Cancún had beaten Azul Hidalgo 6-0, won at Piratas 1-0 and topped Alacranes 2-0, while also suffering losses to La Paz, Morelia and Leones Negros. Tlaxcala came in after a 4-0 loss at Tapatío, a 3-1 home win over Club Jaiba Brava and a 1-1 draw at Alacranes. Tlaxcala also had a 3-1 home win over Venados, a 3-2 loss at Tepatitlán, a 2-2 draw at Dorados, a 2-0 home loss to Oaxaca, a 3-1 loss at Zacatecas and a 4-2 home loss to Leones Negros.

Tlaxcala’s victory continued a busy stretch in the Liga de Expansión MX. The home side’s ability to create chances after halftime changed the match after Cancún had done well to protect its early advantage. Cancún, meanwhile, could not convert its first-half lead into a positive result and dropped points on the road. Tlaxcala is set to visit Morelia next, while Cancún is scheduled to host Tapatío. Cancún will then visit Zacatecas, host Venados, visit Tepatitlán and host Club Jaiba Brava. Tlaxcala will host Piratas, visit La Paz, host Correcaminos and visit Azul Hidalgo after its trip to Morelia.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cancún 2, Tlaxcala 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Cancún with a 60.2 percent probability to win. Those projections did not match the result, as Tlaxcala scored four times and limited Cancún to one goal.