Through 8 Rounds, it is crowded at the top of Liga MX
The 2020 Guardianes season was meant to be a special one, and through eight match days, it will difficult for anyone to say that it has disappointed. This round saw Chivas defeat Tigres at El Volcan for the first time in over ten years, America dismantled Mazatlan F.C. at Estadio Azteca, and Pumas make their case a legitimate contender for the title.
Who is the best team?
Though Cruz Azul has been considered the best team of the season because of their impressive victories, their defeats have come against the likes of Queretaro and, most recently, Atlas, who was at the bottom of the table before beating La Maquina.
The other team making a case to be considered the best team in the league is Club Leon. La Fiera has also been dominant this season; however, their only defeat was against Los Cementeros. Because of that, it is hard to make an argument in favor of Los Panzas Verdes.
Pumas de la UNAM are in a 3-way tie with Cruz Azul and Club America. Today, Los Pumas took care of business and trounced Los Camoteros de Puebla 4-1 in Ciudad Universitaria. Los Pumas have been stellar on the offensive side, and they are the only remaining undefeated team of the season. Keep in mind, all of this happened despite losing their coach Michel, very early in the season.
Following back-to-back defeats, Las Aguilas del America have won two in a row and are back in business. Piojo Herrera’s men have two “easy” games versus Puebla and Toluca, respectively, before they begin a stretch of four extremely challenging games starting with el Super Clasico vs. Chivas on September 19.
Have Chivas found the Hand of Midas?
Guadalajara defeated Tigres in Nuevo Leon for the first time since January 23, 2010, during the Clausura tournament of that same year. Victor Manuel Vucetich has had a history of turning teams around, which earned him the nickname of King Midas. Vucetich has Chivas with a favorable record since he took over the group. If the victory over Tigres is an indicator of things to come, the Goats could find themselves in contention for more than just a spot in the playoffs.
Still enough time for these teams to turn their season around?
Despite their 1-3 defeat against Chivas, this round, Tigres’ fans should not be sounding off the alarm. Tuca Ferretti’s men still have more than half of the season to turn things around. As unfavorable as a result versus Guadalajara may seem, the team from Nuevo Leon is only one point out from a playoff spot. The other thing Ferreti and his side need to take into account is that their remaining schedule includes matches versus teams like Monterrey, Leon, Cruz Azul, and America all on the road.
Santos Laguna is another team that could potentially rebound from their bad start this season. Los Laguneros are only two points from a playoff spot, but a defeat against a lowly Necaxa and their inability to beat a team like Atlas does not create a good look for los Guerreros. Regardless, Santos, like the rest of the teams in the Guardianes season, has nine games remaining in their schedule. A string of victories can quickly catapult the team from Torreon back into contention.
