A "Holy War" and a rematch of last tournament's finalists has a different result.
Cruz Azul shakes off seven lean years of losing against América, and last-place Atlas show that derbies don't require good form as they draw with Chivas in the Battle for Guadalajara.
Atlas remain dead last in the league table, with five points. Jaguares were knocked out temporarily of their playoff spot, dropping to ninth place and 13 points overall. Tigres dropped to tenth, with 12 units on the campaign. An unfortunate last minute own goal by Nestor Vidrio means that Atlas won't string their second win of the season and second consecutive victory over Guadalajara in their twice-a-year derby.
It's all here in the Mexican League Report for Week 10.
Week 10 certainly got off to a slow start as Estudiantes and Jaguares drew in an overly muddled match with virtually no scoring options for either side. The rough nature of the match got tempers to flare in the 69th minute, when UAG's Diego Jimenez and Chiapas' Jaime Duran were sent off each for mutual aggression.
Down to ten men on each side, the stalemate was cemented ten minutes later, despite Estudiantes boss Eduardo Acevedo making offensive substitutions meant to tilt the match his team's way. The draw meant Jaguares were knocked out temporarily of their playoff spot, dropping to ninth place and 13 points overall.
Upset-minded Necaxa were quickly dispatched by undefeated Monterrey, who scored two goals in the game's opening half-hour and quickly put the match on ice. The goalscoring tandem of Chile international Humberto Suazo and Aldo de Nigris put Rayados ahead in the 12th and 26th minutes, respectively.
In stoppage time, Pablo Quatrocchi avoided the clean sheet and pulled one back for Daniel Alberto Brailovsky's boys. The loss means that for at least one more week, Necaxa will remain as the lowest ranked team in the relegation table.
Othoniel Arce would take charge and score the weekend's first goal, a lone strike that was enough to defeat an embattled Tigres club who is fighting relegation despite having a multi-million dollar payroll. The win and Toluca's loss later on meant that the Gladiators were now tied for the top spot within their group, and their 16 points overall have them fifth in the league table, above teams like América, Pumas and Guadalajara.
Tigres dropped to tenth, with 12 units on the campaign.
In a rematch of the Bicentenario 2010 finals, Santos found a tiny bit of vengeance by defeating Jose Manuel de la Torre's men last weekend. José Maria Cárdenas opened up scoring in the 38th minute, and five minutes later he'd be joined by the Ecuador international Christian Benitez, who netted his 11th strike in ten matches.
Going into the match, Toluca had a chance to jump Santos in the stats and potentially go as high as third in the league table, but Ruben Omar Romano's boys defended their spot and, with the win, opened up a five-point lead on the Red Devils. There were no yellow cards shown in this match.
Despite an early goal from one of last tournament's top strikers, Peru international Johan Fano, Atlante fell at home to Pachuca, who notched their second win in as many matches and begin to shake off a string of eight matches earlier in the tournament without a victory.
Another one of the tournament's top scorers last season, USA international Herculez Gomez, stayed on the bench until the 84th minute. Pachuca's goals came on an Edgar Benitez brace (46', 58') and a Dario Cvitanich strike in stoppage time.
A single Dante Lopez strike was enough to continue Morelia's recent slide in the tournament and help Pumas retain their supremacy at home. A 63rd minute shot by Lopez means that Pumas climb to seventh in the table, one spot below rival América, and Morelia drop to 14th, earning their fifth loss in nine matches and pitting them just one point higher than Necaxa.
Adding to Morelia's woes, Jorge Gastelum was sent off in the 67th minute with a second yellow card, and goalscorer Miguel Sabah added another clean sheet to his tally - he hasn't scored in seven games.
Manager Jose Luis Trejo obtained his first win as Puebla boss last weekend at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc, as the Camoteros climbed back into the playoff race, beating the inconsistent Gallos Blancos thanks to goals by Andres Olivera and Rodrigo Salinas.
Queretaro, who had made an impressive run and then fizzled out later in the season under outgoing manager Carlos Reinoso, appears to go through the same with new manager Angel Comizzo. A good start to the campaign has been erased due to recent losses, and the Gallos Blancos now sit 13th in the league with only 11 points.
An unfortunate last minute own goal by Nestor Vidrio means that Atlas won't string their second win of the season and second consecutive victory over Guadalajara in their twice-a-year derby.
Flavio Santos and Gerardo Flores twice put the Zorros ahead, but Miguel Angel Ponce cut into the lead in the first half, and then - with Atlas ahead but with ten men on the pitch due to Flores' sending off - Adolfo Bautista lunged into the box during stoppage time with the draw squarely on his mind. His shot was deflected by Vidrio and caromed into the back of the net, drawing a collective sigh from Chivas supporters.
It took seven long years for Cruz Azul to once again celebrate a victory in league play over their most hated rivals, crosstown América. A Christian Giménez strike in the 52nd minute over Guillermo Ochoa's outstretched hand was all it took, as Cruz Azul also had luck on their side when two América strikes hit the post, and goalkeeper Yosgart Gutierrez's error (a back pass to him went right under his foot) didn't end up in the back of the net.
Curiously, the last América manager to lose against Cruz Azul was the team's current boss, Manuel Lapuente. Making the result even sweeter is the fact that Cruz Azul's win means they keep the top spot in the league for one more week, with 24 points, two more than runner-up Monterrey.
Atlas remain dead last in the league table, with five points. Jaguares were knocked out temporarily of their playoff spot, dropping to ninth place and 13 points overall. Tigres dropped to tenth, with 12 units on the campaign. An unfortunate last minute own goal by Nestor Vidrio means that Atlas won't string their second win of the season and second consecutive victory over Guadalajara in their twice-a-year derby.
It's all here in the Mexican League Report for Week 10.
Week 10 certainly got off to a slow start as Estudiantes and Jaguares drew in an overly muddled match with virtually no scoring options for either side. The rough nature of the match got tempers to flare in the 69th minute, when UAG's Diego Jimenez and Chiapas' Jaime Duran were sent off each for mutual aggression.
Down to ten men on each side, the stalemate was cemented ten minutes later, despite Estudiantes boss Eduardo Acevedo making offensive substitutions meant to tilt the match his team's way. The draw meant Jaguares were knocked out temporarily of their playoff spot, dropping to ninth place and 13 points overall.
Upset-minded Necaxa were quickly dispatched by undefeated Monterrey, who scored two goals in the game's opening half-hour and quickly put the match on ice. The goalscoring tandem of Chile international Humberto Suazo and Aldo de Nigris put Rayados ahead in the 12th and 26th minutes, respectively.
In stoppage time, Pablo Quatrocchi avoided the clean sheet and pulled one back for Daniel Alberto Brailovsky's boys. The loss means that for at least one more week, Necaxa will remain as the lowest ranked team in the relegation table.
Othoniel Arce would take charge and score the weekend's first goal, a lone strike that was enough to defeat an embattled Tigres club who is fighting relegation despite having a multi-million dollar payroll. The win and Toluca's loss later on meant that the Gladiators were now tied for the top spot within their group, and their 16 points overall have them fifth in the league table, above teams like América, Pumas and Guadalajara.
Tigres dropped to tenth, with 12 units on the campaign.
In a rematch of the Bicentenario 2010 finals, Santos found a tiny bit of vengeance by defeating Jose Manuel de la Torre's men last weekend. José Maria Cárdenas opened up scoring in the 38th minute, and five minutes later he'd be joined by the Ecuador international Christian Benitez, who netted his 11th strike in ten matches.
Going into the match, Toluca had a chance to jump Santos in the stats and potentially go as high as third in the league table, but Ruben Omar Romano's boys defended their spot and, with the win, opened up a five-point lead on the Red Devils. There were no yellow cards shown in this match.
Despite an early goal from one of last tournament's top strikers, Peru international Johan Fano, Atlante fell at home to Pachuca, who notched their second win in as many matches and begin to shake off a string of eight matches earlier in the tournament without a victory.
Another one of the tournament's top scorers last season, USA international Herculez Gomez, stayed on the bench until the 84th minute. Pachuca's goals came on an Edgar Benitez brace (46', 58') and a Dario Cvitanich strike in stoppage time.
A single Dante Lopez strike was enough to continue Morelia's recent slide in the tournament and help Pumas retain their supremacy at home. A 63rd minute shot by Lopez means that Pumas climb to seventh in the table, one spot below rival América, and Morelia drop to 14th, earning their fifth loss in nine matches and pitting them just one point higher than Necaxa.
Adding to Morelia's woes, Jorge Gastelum was sent off in the 67th minute with a second yellow card, and goalscorer Miguel Sabah added another clean sheet to his tally - he hasn't scored in seven games.
Manager Jose Luis Trejo obtained his first win as Puebla boss last weekend at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc, as the Camoteros climbed back into the playoff race, beating the inconsistent Gallos Blancos thanks to goals by Andres Olivera and Rodrigo Salinas.
Queretaro, who had made an impressive run and then fizzled out later in the season under outgoing manager Carlos Reinoso, appears to go through the same with new manager Angel Comizzo. A good start to the campaign has been erased due to recent losses, and the Gallos Blancos now sit 13th in the league with only 11 points.
An unfortunate last minute own goal by Nestor Vidrio means that Atlas won't string their second win of the season and second consecutive victory over Guadalajara in their twice-a-year derby.
Flavio Santos and Gerardo Flores twice put the Zorros ahead, but Miguel Angel Ponce cut into the lead in the first half, and then - with Atlas ahead but with ten men on the pitch due to Flores' sending off - Adolfo Bautista lunged into the box during stoppage time with the draw squarely on his mind. His shot was deflected by Vidrio and caromed into the back of the net, drawing a collective sigh from Chivas supporters.
It took seven long years for Cruz Azul to once again celebrate a victory in league play over their most hated rivals, crosstown América. A Christian Giménez strike in the 52nd minute over Guillermo Ochoa's outstretched hand was all it took, as Cruz Azul also had luck on their side when two América strikes hit the post, and goalkeeper Yosgart Gutierrez's error (a back pass to him went right under his foot) didn't end up in the back of the net.
Curiously, the last América manager to lose against Cruz Azul was the team's current boss, Manuel Lapuente. Making the result even sweeter is the fact that Cruz Azul's win means they keep the top spot in the league for one more week, with 24 points, two more than runner-up Monterrey.
