3 things learned from Matchday 1 in Liga MX
Pumas thrown for a loop before opener; refs falter
After a 130-plus day wait, Liga MX fans were finally rewarded with soccer games that mattered as Week 1 of the Guardianes 2020 season finally got under way last Friday.
The long weekend – games took place from Friday through Tuesday night – didn’t come off without a glitch, however, as the inaugural match was postponed when several Mazatlán players tested positive for Covid-19. Another game was postponed when coronavirus test results were late in arriving and still another was pushed back due to Hurricane Hanna.
Once the whistle was blown, familiar names stepped up – André-Pierre Gignac, Rogelio Funes Mori – and title favorites Tigres and Cruz Azul got off to good starts. However, two of my “3 Things from Week 1” don’t involve the players and that’s never a good thing.
Before the ball even got rolling, there was a coaching change and, much to the chagrin of league officials, questionable decisions by referees made headlines throughout opening weekend.
1. ‘Michel’ walks out on Pumas
Legendary Real Madrid player Miguel González stunned UNAM fans by leaving the team on the eve of the Guardianes 2020 season. “Michel” released a video explaining that he was quitting as coach for “personal reasons,” but many pundits weren’t buying that.
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Some wags predicted “Michel” was heading back to Spain to take the Valencia job, but that was proved a lie when the Spanish club announced the hiring of Javi Gracia a few days later.
Others pointed out that the penny-pinching Pumas management had seriously damaged the club’s title prospects, while another group was sure he was leaving because of the virus surge in Mexico.
The wage reduction crisis brought about by the pandemic cost the Pumas veteran leadership that was deemed too expensive. Captain Pablo Barrera – an academy product – was the biggest loss, but the versatile Ignacio Malcorra was also traded away to save money
Although 33, Barrera was one of the most productive right wingers in Liga MX the past three season and a good example for the Pumas Kiddie Korps coming up through the pipeline. The steady Malcorra, also 33, was capable of playing in midfield, at left back and as left wing.
The front office then sought to negotiate a wage reduction across the board, but “Michel” stood by his players and helped frustrate that plan. By then, the damage was done and the Spaniard said adios after spending just over a year on the Pumas sideline, posting a 13-10-11 record.
Andrés Lillini – director of UNAM’s youth program – is taking charge on an interim basis, but rumors about who the new coach might be (Jorge Campos?) are fodder for the gossip columns in the sports rags.