León stadium drama tops Liga MX headlines
League leaders face uncertain future as Liga MX nomads
León entered the FIFA break comfortably atop the Liga MX table and riding a 10-game unbeaten streak. They come out of the break uprooted and apparently homeless ahead of a key match against América.
Last week, the Esmeraldas were booted out of their own stadium after a lengthy legal battle resulted in ownership of the Nou Camp being transferred to a private interest. The judge ruled the winners of the lawsuit could finally take possession.
Before dawn on Oct. 9, club officials finished clearing out their offices in the stadium – carting out trophies, mementos, archives and furnishings –in a scene that caused consternation among the team’s fans. Supporters forced their way inside the gates after the new “owners” took control of the property, but the presence of the National Guard helped prevent violence.
On Oct. 12, León issued a statement announcing that it will be play its home game against América in Aguascalientes on Monday night. It is also seen as likely that “La Fiera” will call Estadio Victoria – Necaxa’s home stadium – home for the remainder of the Guardianes 2020.
The president of the group that now owns Estadio León has said the Esmeraldas can continue to play at the Nou Camp, but ownership has said it does not trust the association led by Roberto Zermeño, a team president back in the 1980s and 90s who spent 6 years in jail after a tax evasion conviction. Zermeño has told state and municipal officials he’d sell the stadium to the state of Guanajuato for 100 million pesos.
As the litigation played out over the past nine years, the team owners (Grupo Pachuca) talked about building a new stadium in León. That construction would take years and a significant investment, so the club faces some key decisions in the coming months.
It will be interesting to see what impact this has on the Esmeraldas the rest of the way. Aguascalientes is 419 kilometers (260 miles) north of León, so you’re talking about significant travel for “home” games.
‘Verdiblancos’ making their move
Santos earned 3 points during the FIFA break, defeating visiting Tijuana 2-0 in a make-up game. The rejuvenated Walter Gael Sandoval opened the scoring for the Guerreros in minute 23, and Xolos defender Vladimir Loroña knocked the ball into his own net 13 minutes later.
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Santos dominated the match, outshooting their guests 17-5 and showing greater precision, 7 shots on target compared to just 1 for Tijuana.
Sandoval has been a key contributor for Santos since being inserted into the starting line-up against Toluca. His goal helped the Guerreros defeat the Diablos 2-1, launching their 3-game win streak. Sandoval – still only 24 – returned to Santos this past summer after an unsuccessful four-season run with the Chivas and a brief loan term with FC Juárez.
With Sunday’s victory, Guillermo Almada’s team climbed into 9th place in the Liga MX table, a single point behind the Chivas, but 6 points out of a top 4 seed. Nine points in three games has lifted them from 16th place.
For their part, the Xolos now find themselves in 13th place with four games remaining. They are tied with Puebla and FC Juárez at 14 points, so the Xolos are very much still in the playoff race.
The make-up game against Santos had been postponed from Matchday 12 after more than a dozen Xolos players and staffers tested positive for coronavirus.