While the European leagues are still early in their seasons, Liga MX is coming into mid season form. Leon looks like a team that will be fighting for the top spot all season, Pumas can be considered a contender as they lead the league in goals scored through seven games and America is making their seasonal push up the table.
Nothing says “Welcome to midseason” like a Cruz Azul v. Club America derby matchup, dubbed El Clasico Joven, in which America won in Estadio Azul for the first time since 2009, 2-0. Both teams went in on different trajectories. America went into the clasico on a four game winning streak, while Cruz Azul was riding a three game losing streak. In a rivalry game, records can be thrown out the window. Earlier in the week America Center Back, and U.S. Men’s National team player, Ventura Alvarado said that it was a bigger rivalry for Cruz Azul than it was for America, in other words, why should we worry about Cruz Azul?
Alvarado did not feature in the game, feel free to insert your own conclusions here, however, it was clear he was not needed as America dominated the game from start to finish. Cruz Azul started off with a five man back line and played defensive from the start, their lone bright spot in the game was their forward, Ecuador national team player, Joao Rojas who kept getting out behind the America defense with his dribbling ability but had no support.
Due to Cruz Azul’s defend first mentality, America dominated possession 60% to 40%. America finally broke through the indefensible wall on an Oribe Peralta header that was assisted nicely by Pablo Aguilar in the 48th minute. The opening goal seemed to open up the game a bit as Cruz Azul eventually moved away from the defend first mentality and finally challenged the America defense and goalkeeper Moises Muñoz. In the 75th minute, club scoring leader, Dario Benedetto broke away on a fast break and beat Jose Corona as he scored America’s second and game sealing goal. To make matters worse for Cruz Azul, they lost midfielder Marc Crosas to a nasty knee injury after landing awkwardly on it. Crosas was carted off the field and replaced by Jorge Benitez.
America now finds themselves on a five game winning streak, in third place on 15 points. They now prepare to host UANL Tigres when the league resumes in two weeks. Cruz Azul drops their fourth game in a row and find themselves in second to last place, 17th place, in the table as they have two weeks to prepare to travel to meet Monterrey on September 12th.
The highest scoring team in Liga MX is UNAM Pumas with 19 goals. They scored another four this weekend in the most entertaining game of the weekend as they defeated Santos Lagunas 4-3. You won’t find any of the Pumas strikers at the top of the league scoring table because they have a quadruple headed attack in the form of Uruguayan attacking midfielder Matias Britos (5 goals), attacking midfielder Eduardo Herrera Aguirre (2 goals), Argentine striker Ismael Sosa (5 goals), and Ecuadorian attacking midfielder Fidel Martinez (3 goals). Liga MX fans shouldn’t be surprised about Pumas’ ability to score, in 2014 Clausura and Apertura they were in the top five in the league In scoring, so after a lull in the 2015 Clausura, they are back at it. Their next game occurs after the international break when they host Veracruz in a crucial battle of teams in the top five of the table. Pumas have won all three home games so far this season.
When Ricardo Ferretti made his first national team call up last week, he called in 13 Liga MX players, and however, conspicuous by their absence were the Dos Santos brothers which got the world wide rumor mill started. Was it because they took to Twitter to support Miguel Herrera when he was fired? Is Giovani being punished for going to MLS? Are the brothers in the process of changing nationalities to play for USA (Giovanni) and Spain (Jonathan)?
Here is how the 13 Liga MX national team players fared over the weekend:
| Player | Team | Round 7 Performance |
| GK Alfredo Talavera | Toluca | Had 1 save while allowing 3 goals in 3-1 loss to first place Leon. |
| GK Moises Muñoz | America | The veteran GK had 3 saves in a shutout win v. Cruz Azul |
| DF Francisco Rodriguez | Cruz Azul | Solid play as central defender in 5 man backline. Played full 90 minutes |
| DF Oswaldo Alanis | Chivas | Came in Center Back as a substitute in 85th minute when team was leading 2-1. Chivas scores 2 goals in final 2 minutes of game to win 4-1 |
| DF Jorge Torres Nilo | Tigres | Played 90 minutes at Left Back for Tigres in 5-1 win |
| DF Paul Aguilar | America | Started at Right Back, played 90 minutes and assisted on America’s opening goal |
| MF Javier Aquino | Tigres | Played 66 minutes as midfielder and assisted on team’s third goal in 5-1 win. |
| MF Luis Montes | Leon | Played 74 minutes in attacking midfield role. Had 5 shots, only 1 shot on goal in 3-1 win. |
| MF Carlos Esquivel | Toluca | Played 23 minutes as a substitute in the right midfield role. Had one shot on goal in team’s 3-1 loss to Leon. |
| MF Jose Juan Vazquez | Leon | Played 90 minutes in holding midfield role, scored team’s opening goal to tie game 1-1 in a 3-1 win. Received a yellow card. |
| MF Javier Guemez | America | Played 90 minutes as a defensive midfielder in America’s win |
| MF Jesus Dueñas | Tigres | Played 90 minutes as center midfielder and opened the scoring for Tigres in a 5-1 win. |
| FW Oribe Peralta | America | Scored his 124th Liga MX goal, it was the opening goal of America’s 2-0 win |
The upcoming international break will provide teams like the defending champions, Santos and the relegation contender Guadalajara Chivas opportunities to take a step back and reassess their performances and tactics, while teams like Leon and Pumas with the ability to prepare for a run a the championship while holding back the surging Aguilas of Club America.
Liga MX action returns September 11 with fixture date number eight, headlined by Pumas hosting Veracruz and Club America hosting Copa Libertadores finalists and Mexican national team head coach’s UANL Tigres.
