Liga MX hits midway point as cream starts to rise to top
Matchday 9 was squeezed into the middle of the week and there were a few surprises (Atlas earning a draw at Monterrey and FC Juárez winning at Toluca). Still, there is not much movement in the latest Liga MX Power Rankings.
The top five remain unchanged – including the tie at No. 3 – while Querétaro leaped four spots after stealing a point at Guadalajara when keeper Gil Alcalá stopped a penalty kick just before the final whistle.
Going the other direction were Tijuana and Necaxa, both submitting uninspired performances in losing on the road.
Great goalkeeping was on display Wednesday night. Rodolfo Cota (León) and Nahuel Guzmán (Tigres) played “Can you top this?” and traded spectacular saves, producing a 1-1 draw that very could have been 5-5.
Alfredo Talavera was not to be outdone, stepping up with giant stops early on at Santos and helping the Pumas remain the lone unbeaten Liga MX team.
There is a single day off (Thursday) before Matchday 10 kicks off with a Friday double-header. The best games are reserved for Sunday night when No. 6 Querétaro hosts No. 2 León and No. 8 Monterrey visits No. 5 Pachuca.
Before we get to the Matchday 9 Liga MX Power Rankings, a reminder that the figure inside parentheses after the team name indicates the club’s movement in relation to the previous rankings. The next line features the team’s record (win-draw-losses), total points, goals for and goals against.
1. Pumas (—)
5-0-4, 19 points, 17 GF, 8 GA
League-leading UNAM was not too impressive at Santos. All the Pumas did was score from long distance on their only two scoring chances and end the Guerreros 26-game unbeaten streak at home.
2. León (—)
5-3-1, 18 points, 9 GF, 5 GA
The Esmeraldas dropped points at home for the first time in the Guardianes 2020 but battled to a 1-1 draw against the visiting Tigres. Their impregnable defense looked vulnerable against the visitors – even after the Tigres went down a man in minute 80 – but goalie Rodolfo Cota refused to give in.
3. Cruz Azul (—)
6-1-2, 19 points, 15 GF, 6 GA
“Cabecita” Rodríguez rescued the Cementeros with a fluke, late-game goal but make no mistake about it, Cruz Azul is in a funk. After scoring 3 goals in three straight games to move into first place, “La Máquina Azul” could not find the net for more than 180 minutes until the lucky break gave them a 1-0 win over Pachuca. The midfield is playing poorly, demonstrating faulty link-up work and bad decision-making.
3. América (—)
6-1-2, 19 points, 20 GF, 14 GA
Aguilas coach Miguel Herrera opened with a 5-man back line against Puebla and fell behind 2-0 before the half. “El Piojo” corrected his tactical mistake and América exploded for 3 goals in 12 minutes shortly after the half and coasted to victory.