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Previewing Round 13 of the Mexican Primera's Clausura 2012 Season

Friday, March 30

10:00 pm -- Pachuca vs. Club Tijuana, Galavision

Pachuca will try to forget last week's loss to Jaguares de Chiapas as they return home to face a strong Xolos team on Friday night. Xolos de Tijuana have moved on from their battle to stay in Mexico’s Primera, and now have their eyes firmly set on a spot in this season's liguilla. Xolos currently sit in 6th place with 20 points, while Pachuca is immediately behind them in 7th place with 18 points. The two point difference between the two clubs adds to the importance of the game, which will give the winner another big step step forward towards liguilla qualification.

Saturday, March 31


6:30 pm -- Cruz Azul vs. San Luis, Azteca

It's no secret that Cruz Azul is in a slump, having earned just 5 out of 18 points in the last six weeks. Adding to their poor run of form, Cruz Azul has also gained only one point out of six in Copa Libertadores, drawing at home and losing in Brazil against Corinthians. San Luis, though, has been even worse this season. Currently sitting in 15th place with 11 points, San Luis has claimed a victory on just three occasions this season. San Luis is also coming off a devastating loss at home against Atlante, and will be looking to gain some confidence against a wounded and shorthanded Cruz Azul.

7:00 pm -- Queretaro vs. Puebla, Telefutura

This match features a battle between a 16th place team and a team in dead last place. The match clearly means a lot more to last-place Queretaro, who continue to fight against Estudiantes and Atlas to avoid relegation. Puebla has recently fallen into a slump of their own, which cost the job of Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio. The club has hired intern coach Diego Bartolotta, who since Osorio’s departure had taken over on the bench. The whole season has been a struggle for Queretaro, who have already dropped their first loss under new manager Angel David Comizzo. Queretaro has won only one game all season, having tied three, and lost eight.

9:00 pm -- UANL Tigres vs. Monarcas Morelia, Telefutura

In what has to be the game of the week, Morelia flies into Monterrey to face Tigres, who at Estadio Universitario are one of the strongest teams in the league. Morelia comes into this game fresh off a 3-1 win over Club America, and Morelia coach Tomas Boy seems to have found the right formula to push his team forward. With the great seasons that players like Miguel Sabah, Rafa Marquez, and Gerardo Lugo are having, Morelia has moved iton first place alongside Santos Laguna. Tigres is not far behind, just one point back and currently in 3rd place. This looks to be one the biggest game of the weekend, as a win by either Tigres or Morelia can put them into the top spot in the league, and one step closer to securing a nice seed in this year's liguilla.

10:30 pm -- Club Atlas vs. Pumas UNAM, Galavision

Both of these teams have certainly had their struggles this season. Atlas has fought to move away from the relegation scene, while Pumas has had one of their worst seasons in recent years. Pumas are also now coming off an upsetting 3-0 midweek loss to Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions League. The team has been especially hurt by the loss of their star defender Dario Veron, and have struggled to adapt, losing their last two games. Atlas continues to suffer their own struggles as they try to stay in the top division. The club has now lost two in a row and hasn't won since week 8.

11:00 pm -- Atlante vs. Jaguares Chiapas, Telefutura

Two teams at mid table meet in the final game on Saturday night, both with the chance to move up in position and maybe grab a spot in the liguilla qualification zone. Atlante comes into the match following a motivating win away from home last weekend against San Luis. Jaguares enter the round on a positive note, after last weekend's impressive victory over Pachuca. With the two teams evenly matched and both playing well, expect an entertaining performance for the Atlante home crowd at Estadio Andres Quintana Roo.

Sunday, April 1


1:00 pm -- Toluca vs. Santos Laguna, Univision

Santos, who are currently involved in this year’s CONCACAF Champions league, have shown great chemistry on the field this season, something that has been reflected in their recent results. While Toluca has had its share of ups and downs this season, Los Diablos are traditionally a strong team at home. Although already this season Toluca has dropped important points against teams like Pumas and Pachuca in front of their home crowd. A great matchup will be between Ivan Alonso, who leads the league in scoring, and Herculez Gomez, who has recently gone on an incredible streak by scoring 9 goals in his last 7 games.

5:00 pm -- Club America vs. Monterrey, Univision

In what seems like another big match this weekend, Monterrey goes into Estadio Azteca against a wounded America, who lost last week 3-1 to Morelia. During the week, Monterrey handled their business with Pumas in the CONCACAF Champions League, earning an easy 3-0 home win. Both Monterrey and America sit side by side in the league table, both with 22 points, giving the game significant extra weight. For Monterrey, Humberto Suazo and Aldo De Nigris have begun to connect again, and are becoming the deadly duo that led them to their last championship. America, on the other hand, have been highly criticized for their style of play. At times this season America has not been able to play as a cohesive team, but rather a collection of miscellaneous individual talents.

7:00 pm -- Estudiantes Tecos vs. Chivas Guadalajara, Telefutura

The last game of the week will go down in Guadalajara, as Estudiantes host Chivas at Estadio 3 de Marzo. Chivas had a demoralizing loss against Defensor Sporting in Copa Libertadores this week. Adding to the loss, Chivas also had long hours of travel back to Mexico, something which can affect any team. Chivas will try to keep their "positive streak" in the Mexican League alive against an Estudiantes team who already have one foot in next year’s Liga de Ascenso. Estudiantes have earned only one win all season, and sit at the bottom of the league alongside Queretaro with 6 points. Though Chivas began the season with their worst start in their long history, they have had a boost of confidence with the "Cryuff-effect", earning four wins in their last five matches. Though they sit in 11th place, Chivas is only three points away from the 8th place spot, and hope to fight their way back into this year’s liguilla.