Club Tijuana announced on their website that Joe Corona is rejoining the club for the Liga MX Apertura season. The American midfielder spent 2016 on loan with Dorados de Sinaloa., winning the 2016 Liga de Ascenso Apertura title.
Now official, Joe Corona returns to Club Tijuana, signs new deal with Xolos. https://t.co/1mlXfhFNb6
— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) December 16, 2016
Corona expressed his appreciation for the move on his personal Twitter account:
Happy to be back home @Xolos. Proud to be part of this great club ⚽️
— Joe Corona (@JoeCorona15) December 16, 2016
There were rumors over the past year that Corona was considering a move to MLS. However, Goal.com reported last week that the loan stint with Dorados convinced Xolos to bring him back and sign him to a new multi-year contract.
Corona joined Tijuana in 2009 after his freshman season at San Diego State. He scored the club’s first goal in the first division and was a part of the club’s 2012 Apertura title winning squad.
Corona made his United States senior national team debut in 2012, after playing with the U-23s. He’s earned 17 caps, but hasn’t played since the third-place match of the 2015 Gold Cup.
The national team is currently in a state of flux. There’s a new manager and the midfield rotation is far from settled. I write this at the end of every post, but there is a massive chance right now for players to work their way into the national team picture with consistent playing time at the club level. Corona has the talent and the pedigree. His return to Tijuana could be the sign of a jump to the next level ahead of the 2018 World Cup.