Pachuca Goalkeeper Miguel Calero Done for Season

Just when Pachuca thought things couldn't possibly get any worse.

After suffering through their fifth defeat of the season, an embarrassing 0-4 home loss to Atlante on Saturday night, more bad news awaited the Tuzos following the game. Goalkeeper and team captain Miguel Calero will undergo surgery, it was announced, and miss the remainder of the Clausura season. Calero injured his shoulder during Saturday night's match near the end of the first half, left the field on a stretcher, and did not return. Backup goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota took his place for the remainder of the match, a switch that now appears to be permanent.

Losing Calero is just another blow in what has been an incredibly difficult season for Pachuca. Saturday night’s loss was their fifth in the last seven games, and again the team failed to find the back of the net. Pachuca have now scored just two goals in their last seven matches, and are tied with Necaxa as the lowest-scoring team in the league. The Tuzos sit in last place of Group 2, and in the overall league table only Jaguares have a worse record.

Things don't get much easier in the coming weeks as Pachuca must face Pumas UNAM and Monarcas Morelia in their next two matches, a task made all the more difficult with the loss of Calero. New manager Efrain Flores will attempt to somehow regroup the team and find a way to make improvements in the face of adversity. Pachuca fans can only hope that this is rock bottom for the team. It certainly seems that as of now, the only way to go is up.