Chivas and Necaxa headline an all-rojiblanco thriller in the first match of the twelfth week of Clausura 2011 action.
The weekend of action in the Mexican Clausura 2011 kicks off in Aguascalientes as Necaxa and Chivas square off in the Estadio Victoria, pitting two teams with wildly different situations as to what their aspirations in the tournament are.
Eight other games jam-packed with action begin Saturday afternoon and end Sunday night, as the main attractions feature a Tigres team that faces Atlante in the Estadio Universitario, for a match that promises two hours of excellent football. Rounding out the calendar of activities, a desperate América team will try and beat Puebla at home and climb back into the playoff race. Matchday 12 is previewed fully on LSTV!
An all 'rojiblanco' duel will take place at the Estadio Victoria, as the home team clings to life in the Mexican Primera División while the visitors attempt to solidify their playoff chances. The Sergio Bueno-led Rayos got off on a hot streak as soon as he took the reins over for Daniel Brailovsky earlier in the season, but have now fallen into a lull. With five weeks remaining after the end of matchday 12, Necaxa would be all but dead in the survival race if they were to lose Friday night.
Meanwhile, Chivas look to dive in to the playoff race, as they remain on the outside looking in, with a ninth place table standing despite an admirable resurgence. Key to that Chiva revival has been young striker Erick Torres, who has Guadalajara fans talking about a "Chicharito" redux after the 18-year-old has scored five times over the course of the season.
Necaxa will be without Everaldo Barbosa, who will miss the match due to suspension, forcing Bueno to improvise in the middle of the field. Barbosa is key to the home team as he is a central midfielder who not only breaks up play, but moves to the front end of the pitch to create offense for his fellow attackers. Chivas report a full squad for the match at hand.
A Querétaro win on Saturday will maintain or even increase the gap between Necaxa and the Gallos Blancos, meaning the fixture is vital for Necaxa.
After a well-intentioned dig against Chivas gave them the extra morale boost to beat that team over a month ago, Jaguares have once again turned to outward motivation prior to their match against league-leading Pumas. The media campaign over the last week has been focused on promoting the Chiapas side as the stronger of the two 'felines'.
The home team has been hit by injuries this season, especially to their front line, with Colombian striker Jackson Martinez being out for the entire season, and Antonio Pedroza missing time as well as Julio Daniel Frias, their third-choice striker. They will only be without Martinez on Saturday as Pedroza and Frias are ready to go. Midfielder Jorge Hernandez will be out due to suspension.
On the visiting side, veteran striker Juan Francisco Palencia is out due to suspension, gaining a red card in last weekend's fixture at Ciudad Universitaria. While usual first-choice striker Juan Carlos Cacho has been cleared to return to action, Pumas will still be without midfielder Leandro Augusto due to a crunching injury that will see him out for several games.
It will be interesting to see how Pumas react to Augusto's absence, as his veteran leadership role is also magnified by his continuing excellence in the feline midfield. Pumas have not yet lost in the current tournament.
Two young firecrackers will be missing in action for this match at La Corregidora, as Queretaro and San Luis attempt to dig themselves out of holes in the league and push towards La Liguilla. Othoniel Arce, San Luis' weapon up front, will be out due to injuries he sustained playing with the Mexican U-22 squad.
Isaac Acuna is out for Queretaro, picking an injury up in the same circumstances as Arce. The US-born Acuna had been scoring timely goals for the Gallos Blancos. This regional derby of sorts has increased security forces lined up to prevent any type of violence during the match, as the rivalry between both teams grows with each meeting.
San Luis will also have to deal with the suspension of Jesus Isijara, who saw a red card. Queretaro will look to take advantage of San Luis' fatigue, as the Gladiators have been involved in the Copa Libertadores which features long trips to South America on a bi-weekly basis.
A Queretaro win is vital for their hopes in remaining within the Mexican First Division, their drawn-out fight with Necaxa, UAG Tecos and Atlas is coming to a close in just six weeks.
One of the weekend's marquee matches, Santos Laguna hosts Cruz Azul as manager Diego Cocca looks to win his first game at the helm of the green-and-whites.
A redux of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals that saw Cruz Azul to the next round, Santos have been in a state of disarray and turmoil since firing Ruben Omar Romano from his contract and hiring Cocca, loser of six matches since taking the team over in mid-February.
Usually a fortress, the Estadio Corona has seen just one home win this season from Santos Laguna, a situation which the team will try and fix moving forward with Cocca as their lead man. They will also have to deal with a plethora of absences: Fernando Arce and Jose Antonio Olvera are ruled out due to injury, while Rodolfo Salinas is suspended. They might also have to report Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez as an absence, as he is not yet cleared to play.
Cruz Azul march in looking to gain a positive result and keep climbing the league table towards what seems like a sure playoff spot. Aside from the Alejandro Vela long-term injury that will keep the midfielder out of action for the entirety of the tournament, the Blues report a full squad that will surely go out and try and rip three points out from a mortally wounded Santos Laguna.
Two good teams square off in the Clausura 2011 on Saturday night, as Atlante take on Tigres in a battle that pits two group leaders. Atlante is the boss in Sector 2, despite only holding the crown tenuously, as they are involved in a three-way tie with America and San Luis. Tigres, on the other hand - are four points ahead of Atlante in the league table and tops in Group 1, as their 20 is just one more than city rivals Monterrey's 19.
The match will pit Atlante striker Francisco Fonseca against Tigres, his old team which unceremoniously dumped him after four years of shared futility. Fonseca has responded by scoring on four occasions in the current tournament with the blaugrana, and wishes to increase his tally against his former team.
He'll be facing a Tigres team without winger Damian Alvarez, and central midfielder Manuel Viniegra, both of whom are ruled out of the contest due to injury. Atlante have their own injury problems to deal with, as Fernando Navarro is out for the Potros.
Atlante's high powered offense will face a Tigres defense that has allowed the meager sum of five goals in the entire tournament. Atlante's defense isn't that bad either, with 10 goals received.
A rare all-Guadalajara match that isn't a derby takes place at the Estadio Jalisco, as Atlas and Estudiantes Tecos face each other for their matchday 12 fixture. Atlas come into the game with serious administrative problems, backlogged pay for its players and the menace of being sold to an outside investor in the near weeks.
Estudiantes Tecos have slowly built a solid team under coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola, whose main task at the Estadio Jalisco will be to revert the soon-to-be 10 year streak in which the team has not been able to beat Atlas at home, stemming back to the Invierno 2001 tournament. Their three-match undefeated streak will have them going into the match with a bit more confidence than other seasons.
Missing in action for Atlas will be suspended striker Alfredo Moreno and injured defenders Nestor Vidrio and Jesus Paganoni. On the visiting side, Jorge Zamogilny, Israel Lopez, Juan Carlos Leano and Diego Jimenez are all out for the Estudiantes, who have struggled defensively due to all the missing components throughout the tournament.
Morelia looks to keep rolling into the playoffs with high level football this weekend, facing Pachuca at home - a team that is virtually out of the playoff picture due to its horrendous start under now-fired manager Pablo Marini, since replaced by former Chivas de Guadalajara manager Efrain Flores.
The home team probably couldn't have picked a better rival to potentially be without two star players, as both Miguel Sabah and Elias Hernandez have not been cleared to play in the match between both teams this Sunday. Tomas Boy's team are nearly tops in the competition, fighting it out with Monterrey, Pumas and Tigres for that distinction.
Pachuca will go the rest of the way without its starting goalkeeper, as Miguel Calero aggravated an injury that sees him gone for the rest of the Clausura 2011. Pachuca's excellent performance in a mid-week friendly against the Mexican U-22's will have an interesting effect on the match, as manager Efrain Flores might decide to sub in several of the youth players who faced that team and scratched out a late draw.
Morelia dominates the historic series against Pachuca by only one win, 14 to the Tuzos' 13.
A repeat of the Apertura 2009 semi-final will take place at la Bombonera in Toluca, with the Diablos Rojos taking on Monterrey at home on Sunday afternoon. On that occasion, a 3-1 two-leg win from Monterrey pushed them through to the final, where they would win their third title and first under Victor Manuel Vucetich.
Vucetich and former Toluca manager Jose Manuel de la Torre were candidates to take over the vacant Mexico national team job before Vucetich backed out and left the door open for de la Torre. Now, Toluca are coached by former Vucetich pupil Sergio Lugo, who has had the difficult mission of subbing for de la Torre and his legacy of two titles with the Red Devils.
Monterrey has already eliminated Toluca from the CONCACAF Champions League, dispatching them in the quarterfinal round and also beating them last season at home, a 2-0 fixture that meant the Rayados' 21st win overall in the series, a series that is still dominated by Toluca's 26 wins over the course of history.
Monterrey has not won at the Nemesio Diez since 2006. A win and a Tigres loss or draw will mean that Monterrey become the group leaders following the current weekend of games.
A hungry, desperate America will play against a rival that has historically been good for them, a Puebla team that has won just 13 times against them in 73 meetings since the league began in 1943. In fact, Puebla has won just once against the team since 2004.
They'll have a good crack at a win at the Estadio Azteca this weekend, as America will field its third-choice goalkeeper, with Guillermo Ochoa out to injury and Armando Navarrete incapacitated due to a dental procedure. 20-year-old Hugo Gonzalez will debut as the America goalkeeper, attempting to notch his first win as blue-and-yellow netminder.
America desperately need a win to continue figuring in the playoff hunt, they've dropped to eighth after being as high as third in recent weeks. Puebla would also work towards salvaging its season with a win, as Hector Hugo Eugui has revitalized the team since replacing Jose Luis Trejo in the managerial position. They've all but staved off relegation, and can now think about a possible run at the playoffs. Puebla would break a seven-year winless streak at the Estadio Azteca with a win.
Eight other games jam-packed with action begin Saturday afternoon and end Sunday night, as the main attractions feature a Tigres team that faces Atlante in the Estadio Universitario, for a match that promises two hours of excellent football. Rounding out the calendar of activities, a desperate América team will try and beat Puebla at home and climb back into the playoff race. Matchday 12 is previewed fully on LSTV!
An all 'rojiblanco' duel will take place at the Estadio Victoria, as the home team clings to life in the Mexican Primera División while the visitors attempt to solidify their playoff chances. The Sergio Bueno-led Rayos got off on a hot streak as soon as he took the reins over for Daniel Brailovsky earlier in the season, but have now fallen into a lull. With five weeks remaining after the end of matchday 12, Necaxa would be all but dead in the survival race if they were to lose Friday night.
Meanwhile, Chivas look to dive in to the playoff race, as they remain on the outside looking in, with a ninth place table standing despite an admirable resurgence. Key to that Chiva revival has been young striker Erick Torres, who has Guadalajara fans talking about a "Chicharito" redux after the 18-year-old has scored five times over the course of the season.
Necaxa will be without Everaldo Barbosa, who will miss the match due to suspension, forcing Bueno to improvise in the middle of the field. Barbosa is key to the home team as he is a central midfielder who not only breaks up play, but moves to the front end of the pitch to create offense for his fellow attackers. Chivas report a full squad for the match at hand.
A Querétaro win on Saturday will maintain or even increase the gap between Necaxa and the Gallos Blancos, meaning the fixture is vital for Necaxa.
After a well-intentioned dig against Chivas gave them the extra morale boost to beat that team over a month ago, Jaguares have once again turned to outward motivation prior to their match against league-leading Pumas. The media campaign over the last week has been focused on promoting the Chiapas side as the stronger of the two 'felines'.
The home team has been hit by injuries this season, especially to their front line, with Colombian striker Jackson Martinez being out for the entire season, and Antonio Pedroza missing time as well as Julio Daniel Frias, their third-choice striker. They will only be without Martinez on Saturday as Pedroza and Frias are ready to go. Midfielder Jorge Hernandez will be out due to suspension.
On the visiting side, veteran striker Juan Francisco Palencia is out due to suspension, gaining a red card in last weekend's fixture at Ciudad Universitaria. While usual first-choice striker Juan Carlos Cacho has been cleared to return to action, Pumas will still be without midfielder Leandro Augusto due to a crunching injury that will see him out for several games.
It will be interesting to see how Pumas react to Augusto's absence, as his veteran leadership role is also magnified by his continuing excellence in the feline midfield. Pumas have not yet lost in the current tournament.
Two young firecrackers will be missing in action for this match at La Corregidora, as Queretaro and San Luis attempt to dig themselves out of holes in the league and push towards La Liguilla. Othoniel Arce, San Luis' weapon up front, will be out due to injuries he sustained playing with the Mexican U-22 squad.
Isaac Acuna is out for Queretaro, picking an injury up in the same circumstances as Arce. The US-born Acuna had been scoring timely goals for the Gallos Blancos. This regional derby of sorts has increased security forces lined up to prevent any type of violence during the match, as the rivalry between both teams grows with each meeting.
San Luis will also have to deal with the suspension of Jesus Isijara, who saw a red card. Queretaro will look to take advantage of San Luis' fatigue, as the Gladiators have been involved in the Copa Libertadores which features long trips to South America on a bi-weekly basis.
A Queretaro win is vital for their hopes in remaining within the Mexican First Division, their drawn-out fight with Necaxa, UAG Tecos and Atlas is coming to a close in just six weeks.
One of the weekend's marquee matches, Santos Laguna hosts Cruz Azul as manager Diego Cocca looks to win his first game at the helm of the green-and-whites.
A redux of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals that saw Cruz Azul to the next round, Santos have been in a state of disarray and turmoil since firing Ruben Omar Romano from his contract and hiring Cocca, loser of six matches since taking the team over in mid-February.
Usually a fortress, the Estadio Corona has seen just one home win this season from Santos Laguna, a situation which the team will try and fix moving forward with Cocca as their lead man. They will also have to deal with a plethora of absences: Fernando Arce and Jose Antonio Olvera are ruled out due to injury, while Rodolfo Salinas is suspended. They might also have to report Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez as an absence, as he is not yet cleared to play.
Cruz Azul march in looking to gain a positive result and keep climbing the league table towards what seems like a sure playoff spot. Aside from the Alejandro Vela long-term injury that will keep the midfielder out of action for the entirety of the tournament, the Blues report a full squad that will surely go out and try and rip three points out from a mortally wounded Santos Laguna.
Two good teams square off in the Clausura 2011 on Saturday night, as Atlante take on Tigres in a battle that pits two group leaders. Atlante is the boss in Sector 2, despite only holding the crown tenuously, as they are involved in a three-way tie with America and San Luis. Tigres, on the other hand - are four points ahead of Atlante in the league table and tops in Group 1, as their 20 is just one more than city rivals Monterrey's 19.
The match will pit Atlante striker Francisco Fonseca against Tigres, his old team which unceremoniously dumped him after four years of shared futility. Fonseca has responded by scoring on four occasions in the current tournament with the blaugrana, and wishes to increase his tally against his former team.
He'll be facing a Tigres team without winger Damian Alvarez, and central midfielder Manuel Viniegra, both of whom are ruled out of the contest due to injury. Atlante have their own injury problems to deal with, as Fernando Navarro is out for the Potros.
Atlante's high powered offense will face a Tigres defense that has allowed the meager sum of five goals in the entire tournament. Atlante's defense isn't that bad either, with 10 goals received.
A rare all-Guadalajara match that isn't a derby takes place at the Estadio Jalisco, as Atlas and Estudiantes Tecos face each other for their matchday 12 fixture. Atlas come into the game with serious administrative problems, backlogged pay for its players and the menace of being sold to an outside investor in the near weeks.
Estudiantes Tecos have slowly built a solid team under coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola, whose main task at the Estadio Jalisco will be to revert the soon-to-be 10 year streak in which the team has not been able to beat Atlas at home, stemming back to the Invierno 2001 tournament. Their three-match undefeated streak will have them going into the match with a bit more confidence than other seasons.
Missing in action for Atlas will be suspended striker Alfredo Moreno and injured defenders Nestor Vidrio and Jesus Paganoni. On the visiting side, Jorge Zamogilny, Israel Lopez, Juan Carlos Leano and Diego Jimenez are all out for the Estudiantes, who have struggled defensively due to all the missing components throughout the tournament.
Morelia looks to keep rolling into the playoffs with high level football this weekend, facing Pachuca at home - a team that is virtually out of the playoff picture due to its horrendous start under now-fired manager Pablo Marini, since replaced by former Chivas de Guadalajara manager Efrain Flores.
The home team probably couldn't have picked a better rival to potentially be without two star players, as both Miguel Sabah and Elias Hernandez have not been cleared to play in the match between both teams this Sunday. Tomas Boy's team are nearly tops in the competition, fighting it out with Monterrey, Pumas and Tigres for that distinction.
Pachuca will go the rest of the way without its starting goalkeeper, as Miguel Calero aggravated an injury that sees him gone for the rest of the Clausura 2011. Pachuca's excellent performance in a mid-week friendly against the Mexican U-22's will have an interesting effect on the match, as manager Efrain Flores might decide to sub in several of the youth players who faced that team and scratched out a late draw.
Morelia dominates the historic series against Pachuca by only one win, 14 to the Tuzos' 13.
A repeat of the Apertura 2009 semi-final will take place at la Bombonera in Toluca, with the Diablos Rojos taking on Monterrey at home on Sunday afternoon. On that occasion, a 3-1 two-leg win from Monterrey pushed them through to the final, where they would win their third title and first under Victor Manuel Vucetich.
Vucetich and former Toluca manager Jose Manuel de la Torre were candidates to take over the vacant Mexico national team job before Vucetich backed out and left the door open for de la Torre. Now, Toluca are coached by former Vucetich pupil Sergio Lugo, who has had the difficult mission of subbing for de la Torre and his legacy of two titles with the Red Devils.
Monterrey has already eliminated Toluca from the CONCACAF Champions League, dispatching them in the quarterfinal round and also beating them last season at home, a 2-0 fixture that meant the Rayados' 21st win overall in the series, a series that is still dominated by Toluca's 26 wins over the course of history.
Monterrey has not won at the Nemesio Diez since 2006. A win and a Tigres loss or draw will mean that Monterrey become the group leaders following the current weekend of games.
A hungry, desperate America will play against a rival that has historically been good for them, a Puebla team that has won just 13 times against them in 73 meetings since the league began in 1943. In fact, Puebla has won just once against the team since 2004.
They'll have a good crack at a win at the Estadio Azteca this weekend, as America will field its third-choice goalkeeper, with Guillermo Ochoa out to injury and Armando Navarrete incapacitated due to a dental procedure. 20-year-old Hugo Gonzalez will debut as the America goalkeeper, attempting to notch his first win as blue-and-yellow netminder.
America desperately need a win to continue figuring in the playoff hunt, they've dropped to eighth after being as high as third in recent weeks. Puebla would also work towards salvaging its season with a win, as Hector Hugo Eugui has revitalized the team since replacing Jose Luis Trejo in the managerial position. They've all but staved off relegation, and can now think about a possible run at the playoffs. Puebla would break a seven-year winless streak at the Estadio Azteca with a win.
