The good, the bad, the ugly: Liga MX’s off-season signings
LIGA MX’s off-season signings of Mexican players are always interesting topics. The change in allegiance rubs most fans the wrong way, whether the players switched to a team within the league or are coming home from abroad.
Before the start of the tournament, the big question was: which team made the best moves, and now that we’re in the second round, there certainly have been some surprises and some disappointments when it comes to the National Team players.
Following the first and second rounds of Clausura 2022, we bring you the good, the bad, and the ugly for El Tri players.
The Good: Carlos ‘Charly’ Rodríguez in Cruz Azul
‘Charly,’ formerly with Rayados, has scored two goals in 142 minutes, averaging one goal every 72 minutes. The 25-year-old center-midfielder has a 67% pass accuracy out of 37 at the moment.
Juan Reynoso, head coach of La Maquina, has utilized him as center-mid and a striker, which ‘Charly’ has fit in perfectly and delivered. The San Nicolás de Los Garza-born player is positioning himself for a call-up by Mexican National team head coach Gerardo Martino for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches.
¡REFUERZO DE LUJO!
— Liga BBVA MX (@LigaBBVAMX) January 16, 2022
Impresionante desempeño de @CharlyRdz en el arranque del #GritaMéxicoC22. Presiona, roba, arma y define. Ante Juárez inclinó, de nuevo, la balanza a favor de @CruzAzul#LigaBBVAMX ⚽ #GritaMéxicoC22 pic.twitter.com/8zfxCEydQV
The Bad: Sebastián Córdova in Tigres
Sebastián Córdova has earned the trust of Miguel Herrera; however, he has left a lot to desire with Los Felinos fans. The former Águilas player has started in both games of the 2022 Clausura, disputing 151 minutes. In the first game against Santos Laguna, he collaborated with an assist but lost the ball 23 times in 90 minutes. In the second game against Puebla, the 24-year-old center-mid was subbed at the 62nd minute and booed by the fans at El Volcán.
Córdova was last called up to the national team for the friendly match against Chile in Austin back in December; however, his lousy start with Tigres could negatively influence ‘Tata’s’ decision.
The Ugly: Rodolfo Pizarro in Rayados
Monterrey’s off-season acquisition Rodolfo Pizarro hasn’t had any activity so far. Pizarro missed the first round as he tested positive for COVID-19; nevertheless, he wasn’t at his best physically for the match against Necaxa. Therefore, it is challenging to evaluate Mexican players’ performance.
Inter Miami loaned back Pizarro to the team he was purchased from, hoping that a Liga MX return will help him fight for a spot in the National Team, but early this season that appears to be far from reality.
Which player do you think undoubtedly deserves a spot in the upcoming roster for the matches against Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Panama?
Don’t forget to continue to follow our coverage throughout the year as we prepare for the 2022 World Cup by coming back regularly to our page, and be sure to tune in to the El Mexican Soccer Podcast every Thursday at 9 pm E.T.
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El Tri Online was founded in December 2017 to serve English-speaking fans of Mexican Soccer. Our mission is to create compelling Mexican soccer content and share it via our website, streaming apps, social media, and any other medium for English-dominant Mexican-American fans of the Mexican National Team, Liga MX, and their players.
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