TIJUANA, Mexico – There was an electoral campaign message trotted around the stadium, there was a massive tifo that covered half the stadium with a message about loyalty, and then there was the hairless dog, Xoloitzcuintles.

And that was just during half time.

This is Tijuana.

The Baja California border town is enjoying its most successful spell in the world’s game thanks to the local club, Xolos, which suffered a heartbreaking result on Thursday in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s version of the Champions Leauge, quarterfinals.

Club Tijuana conceded a late goal in the dying moments to C.A. Mineiro, and was held to a 2-2 draw after a very positive start to the fixture. The return leg will be in Brazil on May 30.

“We made some mistakes," Tijuana head coach Antonio Mohamed said in the post-game press conference. "I am sad because of the result. This could have been a 3-0 or 4-1 game. We needed more goals and we couldn’t score them. We are sad today but we are alive. We won’t be sad tomorrow. We have some days to recover. We know we were better and we will never give up.”

Tijuana, rightfully, took the lead 12 minutes before half when forward Duvier Riascos fought off a sliding challenge from a Mineiro defender and ripped a shot to the near post that shook the net and stadium to life.

The home crowd erupted as the Colombian attacker danced near the Copa Libertadores sign.

The Liga MX side continued to keep the pressure on the visitors from Brazil and tightened the screws slowly in the buildup to the second goal, which came shortly after the break.

The skunk-haired Fidel Martinez missed an open header at the far post in the opening moments of the latter stanza, but quickly atoned for his mistake with a collected finish after the initial shot from striker Alfredo Moreno was palmed away by goalkeeper Victor.

Mineiro fought back into the fixture and managed to snag a valuable away goal nearly midway through the second half. Ronaldinho, the former FC Barcelona and AC Milan great who has returned home in the twilight of his career, delivered the service that Diego Tardelli directed toward goal for the Mineiro’s first goal.

It was the first goal Tijuana had conceded in four Copa Libertadores games at Estadio Caliente, an unexpected feat to even manage this long for the debutantes in the competition.

Mohamed called on U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Joe Corona off the bench shortly after Tardelli’s strike to help see out the proceedings. Corona joined fellow American Edgar Castillo, who started the game and played all 90 minutes, in the Tijuana lineup.

Mohammed’s adjustment’s were not enough though and Tijuana was robbed of the full points in the dying seconds when Mineiro's substitute Luan snuck past the defense and slotted a shot around the goalkeeper for the game-tying goal in stoppage time.

The climb to the next round is much steeper with the draw at home, but Xolos managed to become only the third Mexican club to win in Brazil in the previous round, so the task is not impossible.

From the American perspective, Castillo was heavily active in the attack, as the majority of the Xolos chances came down the left side of the field during the first half. Corona never seemed to find the rhythm of the game after coming off the bench, but remained optimistic about Xolos chances to advance to the next round. 

"I think we had a very good first half," Corona said after the game. "In the second half, it got a little complicated, but if we come out and play like we did here in Brazil, we have a lot of chances of winning."

The duo will join the U.S. MNT for World Cup Qualifying after next Copa Libertadores leg in Brazil.