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Liga MX: Quarterfinals Roundup

By Rafael Diaz

Only four teams remain. Here is a roundup on the most important things that happened in the quarterfinals of Liga MX.

Les Tigres

These were the moments that Tigres fans were hoping for when Andre-Pierre GIgnac signed for the Nuevo Leon outfit. Gignac was decisive in his team's 3-1 aggregate win over Chiapas, first scoring the opening tie's goal, then scoring the winner at the Victor Manuel Reyna to kill off the series.

The Frenchman is the dominant figure at Tigres. It is not just his scoring, he almost always makes the right runs and reads the game best out of everyone in the team.

With the Frenchman in this form, you wouldn't be surprised to see Tigres lifting the silverware when the season ends.

Unconvincing

On Sunday, Pumas UNAM and Toluca clinched spots in the Liga MX semifinals but did it unconvincingly. The number one and number two seeds struggled to fit the billing as they were forced to deal with uncomfortable ties.

After a 1-0 defeat to Veracruz in the first leg, Pumas had to score early in the return leg to progress. Despite finishing 1-1 on aggregate, a better positioning in the league table was the only thing separating the "Superlideres" from a premature exit.

Meanwhile, a first-leg stroll had looked to be going Toluca's way when they were two goals for the good, but Puebla fought back valiantly to rescue a 2-2 draw heading into the return leg.

At the Estadio Nemesio Diez, Puebla delivered a performance with the type of fighting qualities that characterized La Franja throughout the regular season.

But Fernando Uribe spared Toluca the blushes when he scored the winner for the Diablos Rojos nine minuets from time to send his side to the final four.

Contenders or pretenders?

After winning 4-1 over Leon in the first leg, the return fixture was the chance for Club America to string a noteworthy performance together and wrap up their place in the semifinals in style.

Instead, Leon twice came within two goals and could have written a different story if it weren't for Mauro Boselli's woeful finishing. The former Wigan man endured a frustrating night up front and missed several key chances for La Fiera.

Any America slump was understandable considering the ease in which they won the first leg, but lending possession of the ball and sitting deep was hardly what many imagined for the second leg.

Still, Las Aguilas never lost focus on the defensive side of the ball. Paul Aguilar worked tirelessly off the right and Rubens Sambueza had America's brightest moments when they looked to break quickly.

In the end, a semifinal spot is what they claimed and what they deserved. That is now Club America's sixth semifinal appearance in their last eight  Liga MX seasons.

Player of the week: Andre-Pierre Gignac

It had to be the aforementioned Gignac. The Frenchman scored twice in as many games to guide Ricardo Ferretti's side to victory.

Goal of the week: Andre-Pierre Gignac

Gignac gets all the accolades this weekend, and arguably the best goal of the weekend also belonged him. The France international scored an absolute gem from a bicycle kick on Wednesday.

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