The first week of the 2016 Apertura came to an end on Sunday and the Liga MX clubs combined for a decent 17 goals. In a weekend where four games ended in draws, with two ending in a 0-0 score, only three goals really stood out from the rest. Here are the three goals I thought deserve some viewing.
1) Jair Pereira scores the most generous goal
Someone needs to remind Pereira just because his uniform was made by Puma, it doesn't mean he has to score for Pumas. Plenty went wrong for Chivas against the Universitarios, but Pereira's own goal outweighs the weak penalty finish by Gullit Peña. Pereira looked way too eager to head the ball in off the pass from Pumas midfielder Abram Gonzalez. Own goals automatically qualify as defensive mistakes, but based on the fact Pereira headed the ball in facing his goalkeeper and hit it with force, Pereira's goal was an act of charity. It's too bad Pumas selfishly didn't return the favor.
2) Franco Jara scores most ruthless goal of the week
I wouldn't take Medina's goal away or lessen his great header off a set piece, but it didn't need to happen. Leon, before Jara scored,had already squandered a 1-1 tie and trailed 4-1 with nearly three minutes left in regulation. Pachuca had the win and the three point guaranteed. Jara's goal booked two ruthless counts, it inflated the loss by Leon and made William Yarbrough's first game of the season from disastrous to devastating. Outside of the direct impact Jara's goal had on Leon, the astounding 5-1 win by Pachuca shows how the team brings in a more than capable cavalry to go for a repeat.
#PorSiNoLoViste G⚽⚽⚽L de Franco Jara@Tuzos 5-1 @clubleonfc #J1AP2016 #LIGABancomerMX
— LIGA Bancomer MX (@LIGABancomerMX) July 17, 2016
⚽ #SienteTuLiga ⚽ pic.twitter.com/xkjEqCPE9H
3)Queretaro uses the most teamwork to score
In its 2-0 win over Veracruz, Queretaro scored the final goal in the 80th minute using two divine volleys and a cross before Neri Cardozo knocks the ball in. Every player who touched the ball during the play shifted using synchronized timing. Thanks to Cardozo's finish, Queratoro took a commanding lead, but, more importantly, fans were treated to a wonderfully improvised sequence of pure futbol.