Pumas’ season ended with their fourth straight home defeat of the season as they fell 1-0 to Puebla. Pumas failed in every way possible this season and they even failed in their last objective, which was in getting Nicolas Castillo the goalscoring title. Castillo finished with eight goals, one behind Raul Ruidiaz. The game was already meaningless, as Pumas and Puebla were both out of the running for the liguilla.
Pumas faced Puebla trying to break their home losing streak and trying to stop their declining quality of play that had lead to lots of question from fans and press. Still, their start wasn't the best as Puebla looked to be the better team in the first half. In fact, aside from a good run from Bryan Rabello, they didn't create any dangerous chances. On the other hand, Puebla had a 1 v 1 with the keeper that Alfredo Saldivar was able to save. T
he first play of the second half changed the game as Carlos Orrantia was able to get past the Pumas defense and then cross the ball to Francisco Torres for the goal. The play was another example that Pumas’ defense has been in total shambles.
Pumas started to react but the second half had as many chances for Puebla as it did for Pumas. Matias Britos made a great save that turned into a cross that Edgar Dueñas cleared off Nico Castillo's feet, and Javier Cortes was also left wide open, only to miss wide. Outside those two chances, Pumas never seemed in danger to score. The game finished 1-0 with Puebla getting the deserved win.
Pumas season was a total disappointment in comparison to last season, where they went to the Liguilla. Injuries were key, as it forced Castillo (who was by far Pumas' best player) to miss key games and to stop the momentum of the team. The team already had Matias Britos miss large part of the season prior to that point. Then Pablo Barrera's injury in the latter half of the season basically sealed Pumas' chances. In defense, Gerardo Alcoba was injured most of the season. This exposed Pumas’ defense even more, especially veteran Dario Veron. Moreover, it is worrisome, especially later in the season, how some reports started coming out about how Pumas’ team chemistry might not be the best, especially in relation to coach Francisco Palencia. Pumas definitely showed they don't have the squad to compete and that injuries to the team exposed the fact that the are no suitable backups for the team. Allegedly, there might be news in the coming days, especially in terms of who is coming in and who is leaving the team this summer.