After 17 weeks of interesting matches and with the two finalists from last season occupying the top spots, Mexico's Clausura 2015 tournament enters its deciding stage. This time, two of the country's most followed teams, Cruz Azul and Pumas, were not able to make it into the playoffs, leaving America and Chivas as the only ones who could increase their lead among the most-winning sides in the Mexican top flight. An added bonus for fans will be the presence of Ronaldinho, who gave Queretaro their playoff berth with a penalty kick during the final seconds of their matchup against Chiapas.
The first legs of the quarter finals will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, with the second legs being played on the weekend. Here is the breakdown of each series.
Tigres UANL (1) vs Santos (8)
This will be a matchup between two of the teams from the North of the country. The Tigers were out of playoff spots during the first nine weeks, but bounced back to lead the league with a mixture of talented young players alongside some experienced footballers, such as Joffre Guerrón and Brazilian Rafael Sobis. Although Tigres' president stated the team will be more focused on making it to the Copa Libertadores semi-final, the large amount of players they possess could give their fans something to be proud of in both tournaments. On the other side will be Santos, which will rely heavily on what Cape Verde striker Djaniny Tavares can do to shock the league leaders. During the regular season, Santos and Tigres drew their game 2-2.
First leg: Wednesday, May 13th, 21:00 EST, at Territorio Santos Modelo
Second leg: Saturday, May 16th, 20:00 EST, at Estadio Universitario.
Club América (2) vs Pachuca (7)
Las Aguilas enter the playoff stage with another title on their minds. The current champions will be facing Pachuca, a team that usually complicates things for the winningest side in Mexico. América racked up the same amount of points as Tigres did, but their goal difference was only enough to guarantee them a second seed. Pachuca was nearly out of the competition when the last game of the regular season started, but Diego Alonso's men managed to defeat Veracruz to earn their spot. During the Clausura 2015 tournament, America visited Pachuca with a number of injuries, which led to a final score of 0-0.
First leg: Wednesday, May 13th, 23:00 EST, at Estadio Hidalgo.
Second leg: Saturday, May 16th, 18:00 EST, at Estadio Azteca.
Veracruz (3) vs Querétaro (6)
Los Tiburones Rojos accomplished their first goal of the tournament a few weeks ago, after the team was mathematically saved from relegation. Veracruz was unbeaten for nine weeks, which gave them a good cushion to face their relegation opponents. Ever since they assured their presence among Mexico's top flight, Veracruz has not performed as they were used to, and they slipped a couple of steps behind Tigres and America. Queretaro will be facing them, with former Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho leading Los Gallos Blancos. The Brazilian midfielder has shown his best form since he first played in Mexico, scoring four goals in the last five games, including a brace against America. Can Ronaldinho lead his team into the semi-finals? These two sides played against each other back in February, with the game ending 1-1.
First leg: Thursday, May 14th, 20:00 EST, at Estadio Corregidora (Queretaro).
Second leg: Sunday, May 17th, 21:00 EST, at Estadio Luis de la Fuente(Veracruz).
Atlas (4) vs Guadalajara (5)
"El Clásico Tapatío" will be, without a doubt, one of the most intense series in Mexico's playoff stage. Two of the most hated opponents will face each other to determine who can call themselves Jalisco's top team. Atlas was one of the first teams to secure their playoff berth, but they lost their final game against America, which made them slip to the fourth seed. Atlas desperately needs a title, since their only championship goes back to 1951, and this generation of players could end up being the one that delivers new silverware. On the other side of the pitch, Chivas were also involved in relegation problems, but former El Tri coach Jose Manuel de la Torre saved the sinking ship in style a few weeks ago. "El Rebaño" enters the playoffs with a winless streak of five games, and they will surely want to end it against their neighbors. During the regular season, Atlas and Chivas equalized 1-1, in a game which will be remembered after Atlas' rising talent Poncho Gonzalez missed a penalty kick in the dying seconds of the game.
First leg: Thursday, May 14th, 22:00 EST, at Estadio Omnilife.
Second leg: Sunday, May 17th, 19:00 EST, at Estadio Jalisco.
