With the first quarter of the season finished, Mexico's first division action begins to heat up with playoff and relegation races...
With four weeks in the books and just over thirteen to go, struggling teams are scrambling to change their fate in a hurry while the fast starters aim to keep their spot on top of the perch. Necaxa, currently dead last in the relegation race, shook things up by dumping outgoing manager Daniel Brailovsky and instating Sergio Bueno.
Meanwhile, in Monterrey, two of the last decade's most successful teams square off in the Estadio Tecnologico, as current champs Rayados face Pachuca in a true six-pointer. Eight other matches fill the slate of an exciting weekend in Mexican football, covered from start to finish on LiveSoccer TV!
Necaxa will begin the Sergio Bueno era at home against Morelia, in the first of 13 do-or-die matches that will determine the Rayos' fate within the top tier of national football.
Four matches have equaled four losses for the red-and-whites, and while managerial changes usually spell quick success for the teams who employ such a tactic, Bueno has only beaten Morelia once over his near-decade coaching in Mexico.
The Monarcas themselves have struggled to get going in this Clausura 2011, with four points by way of one win, one draw and two losses that have made manager Tomas Boy's seat just a tad too warm for his taste.
The match is also severely important for the visitors, as Pumas and Cruz Azul threaten to run away with the group they share with Morelia, as both teams total 8 and 7 points, respectively.
During the last decade, Monterrey and Pachuca combined for eight league titles in Mexico. The Rayados are the current champions, and despite a shaky start, are primed to come out firing in their match against tough opposition.
Pachuca have also struggled, failing to obtain a single win after their 2-0 victory at the Estadio Azteca versus América. The Tuzos can also claim bad luck at being placed in the group with the current league leader, Atlas.
Monterrey also have one win on the season, and, with three losses, have tallied as many negative results as they did all of last season.
While Monterrey have home field advantage for their Saturday showdown, Pachuca boast not losing at the Tec since March of last year, obtaining a draw and a win in their last two meetings in the northern city.
At the Estadio Azul, Cruz Azul and Jaguares will hook up in a match that features two of the country's most potent offenses as managers Enrique Meza and Jose Guadalupe Cruz employ extremely vertical tactics.
Jaguares come into the match extremely motivated thanks to their international success of late - beating Alianza Lima twice to secure a spot in the 2011 Copa Libertadores.
Connoisseurs will recall a budding rivalry between these two teams that stems from a controversial 2003 match that secured Jaguares' spot in the first division while negating Cruz Azul a spot in the playoffs due to shabby officiating.
With three injuries, Cruz Azul might seem shorthanded, but Jaguares will most likely miss starting striker Jackson Martinez, who is still worse for the wear due to a nagging injury.
Winless in the Clausura 2011, time may be running out for Chivas manager Jose Luis Real to turn his ship around and make a strong run towards the playoffs.
As was the case last season, failure to create goalscoring chances have plagued the Goats, who have severely missed their former scoring threat, a young man by the name of Javier "Chicharito" Hernández.
Atlante have had no trouble scoring, and found the net twice against Puebla last week to notch their second win of the season. Winning out of the Estadio Quintana Roo has been a problem for Atlante, and notching a three-pointer outside their home would be a marvelous confidence booster for Mighel Herrera's boys.
Miguel Ponce and Jorge Enriquez are out due to injury for the Guadalajara side, which will once again field a mostly juvenile starting eleven, in congruence with the team's recent philosophy.
An all-north duel takes place in Torreón as Santos host Tigres UANL. A win would secure first place in Group 1 for either team, as both fight it out for tops in the sector.
Extra motivation for the home team will come in the presence of Jared Borgetti, the most prolific scorer in team history, who will receive an acknowledgment for his astounding career that spanned more than 15 years.
Santos' strong attack will receive a boon due to Tigres starting goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo being out with injury, although Santos will also contend with striker Oribe Peralta being out. Darwin Quintero and Christian Benitez, the team's South American strikers, have proven impossible to deal with and will look to extend their goalscoring streaks on Tigres.
Quintero and Benitez have mirror images in Lucas Lobos and Hector Mancilla for Tigres, who have commanded the feline attack with great prowess in this Clausura 2011.
Following a tough mid-week loss to "big brother" América, San Luis heads back home to take on an Estudiantes Tecos team high on their performance last Friday against Chivas.
Although it will definitely be a clash of emotions at the Alfonso Lastras Stadium, it will also be an excellent combination of philosophies, as San Luis' organized, defensive-minded system will face Tecos' wide-open attacking play.
The 3-0 loss to América on Wednesday exposed some gaps and immaturity in San Luis' tactical order, points that manager Ignacio Ambriz will work to fix. The 1-0 win over Chivas is something that Tecos will look to build on, as their output has been uneven with two wins and two losses.
Michael Arroyo of San Luis will miss the match due to a red card he picked up in last Wednesday's game -- he had been on the pitch for 14 minutes before picking up the foul that saw him off.
Puebla will attempt to knock the league's last undefeated team, Pumas, and pull themselves up into the middle of the playoff race at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc.
Listless after a series of upheavals during the Apertura 2010 season, Puebla slowly start to gather their rhythm under experienced manager Jose Luis Trejo. Pumas, on the other hand, look to exploit what has been a weak defensive third for the home team with their potent offense.
That offense will be without the tournament's top scorer, Juan Carlos Cacho, who will be out for the next two weeks. Despite the injury, Pumas can still rely on Francisco Palencia, Dante Lopez and Martin Bravo to provide offensive punch.
Puebla will hope this is the week in which Paraguay striker Nelson Cuevas can reappear in Mexican soccer after a long absence. The team has been playing with usual attacking midfielder Gabriel Pereyra as its man up front for some time now.
In Toluca, a rematch of one of the most vibrant finals in Mexican league history will take place as the Red Devils take on Atlas at the Nemesio Diez.
The Summer 1999 final produced a plethora of emotions for football fans who followed the match, and the penalty kick shootout still remains the closest Atlas has ever been to winning a championship after their 1951 title.
Almost twelve years to the date of that exciting meeting, Toluca and Atlas face each other under more pedestrian circumstances in the middle of the Clausura regular season.
A difficult match to call, as Atlas are the league leaders with 9 of 12 points obtained on the season, and Toluca are looking to thread their third consecutive win.
It's been a whirlwind week for América, as new coach Carlos Reinoso has led them to two wins in just four days, routing Atlas and San Luis by a combined 5-0.
The Eagles remain home for their next contest, a difficult game against an opponent desperate for good results - Querétaro. Another win for the yellow clad team will mean a nine-point week and instant relevance in a tournament that had them winless a mere seven days ago.
Querétaro will scratch for any kind of result that nets them points, as they continue to fight themselves away from relegation. Nicolas Olivera is doubtful for America, picking up a slight knock against San Luis.
América have not lost to Querétaro in their last five meetings, including a 6-0 rout that featured Carlos Reinoso... as Querétaro manager.
Meanwhile, in Monterrey, two of the last decade's most successful teams square off in the Estadio Tecnologico, as current champs Rayados face Pachuca in a true six-pointer. Eight other matches fill the slate of an exciting weekend in Mexican football, covered from start to finish on LiveSoccer TV!
Necaxa will begin the Sergio Bueno era at home against Morelia, in the first of 13 do-or-die matches that will determine the Rayos' fate within the top tier of national football.
Four matches have equaled four losses for the red-and-whites, and while managerial changes usually spell quick success for the teams who employ such a tactic, Bueno has only beaten Morelia once over his near-decade coaching in Mexico.
The Monarcas themselves have struggled to get going in this Clausura 2011, with four points by way of one win, one draw and two losses that have made manager Tomas Boy's seat just a tad too warm for his taste.
The match is also severely important for the visitors, as Pumas and Cruz Azul threaten to run away with the group they share with Morelia, as both teams total 8 and 7 points, respectively.
During the last decade, Monterrey and Pachuca combined for eight league titles in Mexico. The Rayados are the current champions, and despite a shaky start, are primed to come out firing in their match against tough opposition.
Pachuca have also struggled, failing to obtain a single win after their 2-0 victory at the Estadio Azteca versus América. The Tuzos can also claim bad luck at being placed in the group with the current league leader, Atlas.
Monterrey also have one win on the season, and, with three losses, have tallied as many negative results as they did all of last season.
While Monterrey have home field advantage for their Saturday showdown, Pachuca boast not losing at the Tec since March of last year, obtaining a draw and a win in their last two meetings in the northern city.
At the Estadio Azul, Cruz Azul and Jaguares will hook up in a match that features two of the country's most potent offenses as managers Enrique Meza and Jose Guadalupe Cruz employ extremely vertical tactics.
Jaguares come into the match extremely motivated thanks to their international success of late - beating Alianza Lima twice to secure a spot in the 2011 Copa Libertadores.
Connoisseurs will recall a budding rivalry between these two teams that stems from a controversial 2003 match that secured Jaguares' spot in the first division while negating Cruz Azul a spot in the playoffs due to shabby officiating.
With three injuries, Cruz Azul might seem shorthanded, but Jaguares will most likely miss starting striker Jackson Martinez, who is still worse for the wear due to a nagging injury.
Winless in the Clausura 2011, time may be running out for Chivas manager Jose Luis Real to turn his ship around and make a strong run towards the playoffs.
As was the case last season, failure to create goalscoring chances have plagued the Goats, who have severely missed their former scoring threat, a young man by the name of Javier "Chicharito" Hernández.
Atlante have had no trouble scoring, and found the net twice against Puebla last week to notch their second win of the season. Winning out of the Estadio Quintana Roo has been a problem for Atlante, and notching a three-pointer outside their home would be a marvelous confidence booster for Mighel Herrera's boys.
Miguel Ponce and Jorge Enriquez are out due to injury for the Guadalajara side, which will once again field a mostly juvenile starting eleven, in congruence with the team's recent philosophy.
An all-north duel takes place in Torreón as Santos host Tigres UANL. A win would secure first place in Group 1 for either team, as both fight it out for tops in the sector.
Extra motivation for the home team will come in the presence of Jared Borgetti, the most prolific scorer in team history, who will receive an acknowledgment for his astounding career that spanned more than 15 years.
Santos' strong attack will receive a boon due to Tigres starting goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo being out with injury, although Santos will also contend with striker Oribe Peralta being out. Darwin Quintero and Christian Benitez, the team's South American strikers, have proven impossible to deal with and will look to extend their goalscoring streaks on Tigres.
Quintero and Benitez have mirror images in Lucas Lobos and Hector Mancilla for Tigres, who have commanded the feline attack with great prowess in this Clausura 2011.
Following a tough mid-week loss to "big brother" América, San Luis heads back home to take on an Estudiantes Tecos team high on their performance last Friday against Chivas.
Although it will definitely be a clash of emotions at the Alfonso Lastras Stadium, it will also be an excellent combination of philosophies, as San Luis' organized, defensive-minded system will face Tecos' wide-open attacking play.
The 3-0 loss to América on Wednesday exposed some gaps and immaturity in San Luis' tactical order, points that manager Ignacio Ambriz will work to fix. The 1-0 win over Chivas is something that Tecos will look to build on, as their output has been uneven with two wins and two losses.
Michael Arroyo of San Luis will miss the match due to a red card he picked up in last Wednesday's game -- he had been on the pitch for 14 minutes before picking up the foul that saw him off.
Puebla will attempt to knock the league's last undefeated team, Pumas, and pull themselves up into the middle of the playoff race at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc.
Listless after a series of upheavals during the Apertura 2010 season, Puebla slowly start to gather their rhythm under experienced manager Jose Luis Trejo. Pumas, on the other hand, look to exploit what has been a weak defensive third for the home team with their potent offense.
That offense will be without the tournament's top scorer, Juan Carlos Cacho, who will be out for the next two weeks. Despite the injury, Pumas can still rely on Francisco Palencia, Dante Lopez and Martin Bravo to provide offensive punch.
Puebla will hope this is the week in which Paraguay striker Nelson Cuevas can reappear in Mexican soccer after a long absence. The team has been playing with usual attacking midfielder Gabriel Pereyra as its man up front for some time now.
In Toluca, a rematch of one of the most vibrant finals in Mexican league history will take place as the Red Devils take on Atlas at the Nemesio Diez.
The Summer 1999 final produced a plethora of emotions for football fans who followed the match, and the penalty kick shootout still remains the closest Atlas has ever been to winning a championship after their 1951 title.
Almost twelve years to the date of that exciting meeting, Toluca and Atlas face each other under more pedestrian circumstances in the middle of the Clausura regular season.
A difficult match to call, as Atlas are the league leaders with 9 of 12 points obtained on the season, and Toluca are looking to thread their third consecutive win.
It's been a whirlwind week for América, as new coach Carlos Reinoso has led them to two wins in just four days, routing Atlas and San Luis by a combined 5-0.
The Eagles remain home for their next contest, a difficult game against an opponent desperate for good results - Querétaro. Another win for the yellow clad team will mean a nine-point week and instant relevance in a tournament that had them winless a mere seven days ago.
Querétaro will scratch for any kind of result that nets them points, as they continue to fight themselves away from relegation. Nicolas Olivera is doubtful for America, picking up a slight knock against San Luis.
América have not lost to Querétaro in their last five meetings, including a 6-0 rout that featured Carlos Reinoso... as Querétaro manager.
