The Mexican football season is split into two halves, the Apertura (Opening) and the Clausura (Closing), as most regular followers would be well aware. The play-off system is also employed to decide the champions of both seasons.
But what would the league table look like if it was spread over the whole year like the English Premier League is?
Cruz Azul would have already won the championship with four points more than Pumas with only one game remaining. Then come Monterrey neighbours Tigres and Monterrey in the "Champions League" places. America are perhaps surprisingly in fifth and Chivas sit in eighth. Going down would be Necaxa, Estudiantes and there would be a last day survival battle between Puebla, Atlas, Jaguares and Queretaro.
Perhaps more than anything the league shows the unpredictability of Mexican football and the huge dips and highs that occur over just a year. The best example: Cruz Azul, the "champions," might not even make the play-offs during this Clausura if they don´t win at the weekend.
League table:
Team Points
Cruz Azul 64
Pumas 60
Tigres 56
Monterrey 55
America 50
Santos 50
Morelia 49
Chivas 47
San Luis 46
Toluca 43
Pachuca 42
Atlante 40
Puebla 37
Atlas 36
Jaguares 36
Queretaro 35
Estudiantes 32
Necaxa 30
Top scorers:
Christian Benitez: 17
Humberto Suazo: 15
Emanuel Villa: 14
Angel Reyna: 13
Matias Vuoso: 13
Hector Mancilla: 13
Mauro Cejas: 13
Wilmar Aguirre: 13
Christian Gimenez: 13
Marco Fabian: 12