Liga MX Clausura Week 10: Chivas flounder ahead of Clásico Nacional, América triumph

Here are your five conclusions from the tenth week of play in the 2019 Liga MX Clausura.

Cruz Azul make it two in a row

Cruz Azul produced another winning performance on Friday, beating Atlas 2-0 at the Estadio Jalisco to make it two wins in a row for Pedro Caixinha’s men. La Máquina had been struggling as of late, at one point going winless in six straight games across all competitions. But an early goal from Julio Cesar Dominguez helped put the Mexico City side on their way to a valuable three points away from home.

For Atlas, the defeat proved catastrophic for coach Angel Guillermo Hoyos. His reign in front of the club came to a premature end, proving once again that Atlas’ rapid start to the season was just a huge mirage. Isn’t it always?

Clásico Regio ends in stalemate

Color me shocked. Tigres and Monterrey played another edition of the Clásico Regiomontano on Saturday and the final result was a 1-1 stalemate. Look, there is no denying that these two teams are amongst the top three in Liga MX, but this is exactly what we have come to expect from both Monterrey and Tigres when they face each other in the regular season. The match itself was a tale of two halves, with each team exchanging dominance across both sets of 45 minutes before eventually settling for a point each.

The good news is this might not be the last time we see Rayados and Tigres face off in an official match this semester. There is always the chance both teams meet in the CONCACAF Champions League and even the Liguilla. For now, we can rely on both of these teams to continue to be legitimate contenders for the title as we enter the second half of the regular season.

Club América leave it late once again

After last week’s fightback against Monarcas Morelia, Club América needed another late goal from youngster Sebastian Cordova to clinch a 1-0 win over Puebla at the Estadio Azteca. Las Águilas dominated the match from start to finish, and despite performing a total of 24 shots on the opposing goalkeeper’s goal, eight of which were on target, it was an 88th minute effort from Cordova that gave the hosts the win.

While the step up heading to Wednesday’s Copa MX clash with Chivas will certainly be steep, confidence is one thing las Águilas will take from this match. As rocky as their season has been, they have now suffered just one defeat in their last five across all competition and should be full of confidence heading into their doubleheader against their Rebaño.

On the other hand, Chivas played like Chivas

We have already reached the stage where no one is surprised at the lack of positive results coming from Guadalajara. In what was supposed to be a match Chivas were destined to win and get an easy three points in, the Rebaño had to settle for a goalless draw against the last-placed Querétaro.

At the start of the season, coach Jose Saturnino Cardozo had been so emphatic in the endorsement of Alan Pulido and Alexis Vega as top Mexican strikers, but the reality is Cardozo and company have left plenty to be desired. After a promising start to the season, the bad vibes seem to be well and truly back in Guadalajara, and now they have two difficult games coming up against América. What comes from these matches remains to be seen, but it’s not a stretch to say these are two season-defining games for el Rebaño.

León go top of the league table

Move over Tigres, we have a new king of the jungle. León are officially the 2019 Liga MX Clausura’s new league leaders after La Fiera earned a 1-0 win over Lobos BUAP on Sunday.

Here are the numbers for you. León have won seven straight games, earning a clean sheet in six of those. La Fiera is also tied with Monterrey as the best offense with 23 goals, and they also have the best defense, having only conceded six in ten matches.

In their squad, they have what is currently the league’s top scorer in Angel Mena, who has notched nine goals in nine appearances. Mena also happens to be the lead assister in the league with six assists.

Deserved? I think so.