Cruz Azul vs UNAM: A Rematch Ten Years in The Making
La Maquina and Pumas will face off today in the semifinals of the Torneo Guardianes, a game Cruz Azul fans have been waiting to avenge since the Quarterfinals of the 2010 Apertura in which UNAM eliminated La Maquina.
Since 2003 these teams have met 42 times with Cruz Azul owning the head to head with 22 wins, 11 draws, and 9 losses. The Liguilla face to face is a little tighter, out of 15 games, Pumas edging out Cruz Azul with 6 wins, four draws, and 5 losses.
So what can we expect from this game? A game with two very evenly matched teams. Both teams are defensively solid, Cruz Azul allowed 18 goals this tournament, and UNAM 17 goals and both teams had six clean sheets. The loss of Alfredo Talavera for at least the first leg of this series will be a huge disadvantage for Los Felinos.
The series may come down to both teams’ midfield play. Los Cementeros boasts assist runner-up Luis Romo and Orbelin Pineda in their midfield, both averaging 77% and 80% pass accuracy respectively, with Pineda also winning 67% of his tackles. They will be matched against the hub of the Pumas team in Juan Vigon and Erik Lira. Vigon averages 45 touches per game and a pass accuracy of 88%, with 3 assists and 3 goals, while Lira wins 51% of his duels and 56% of his tackles, making this matchup a determining factor.
The battle that may determine this game, however, will be whether either defense can stop two of Liga MX’s top goal scorers this season in Jonathan Rodriguez and Juan Dinenno. Cabezita finished the season with 13 goals and added two assists, while Dinenno had 10 goals and 1 assist for UNAM.
This should be a very entertaining Semifinal Capitalina that Maquina fans hope boosts them closer to that title they’ve been chasing for 22 years, while UNAM will look to send them to their 23rd season of misery.
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