Is León’s CCL loss the beginning of the end?

With León’s humbling ouster from the Concacaf Champions League it begs the question: Could the club’s dynasty as constructed by Ignacio Ambriz be at an end?

For four seasons beginning with the Apertura 2019, León earned either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed while reaching the Liga MX Finals twice. And the Esmeraldas won the Guardianes 2020 tournament as the No. 1 seed.

Under Ambriz, “La Fiera” broke down defenses with a smooth-flowing offense featuring crisp passes, constant movement, and clever playmaking from skipper Luis Montes.

After a disappointing Guardianes 2021 campaign, Ambriz left to try his hand in Europe and in came relative unknown Ariel Holan. The Esmeraldas didn’t seem to miss a beat, finishing third in the standings and reaching another Liga MX Final, only to lose to Atlas in a penalty kick shoot-out.

Cracks showing in León façade

Although some pundits praised Holan for keeping the Esmeraldas moving forward, others suggested he was the beneficiary of a talented roster.

This season has not been so kind. Holan’s tactics have been questioned – he has preferred a line-up without a natural center forward despite having Santiago Ormeño on the roster – and despite injuries and an aging roster he has been reluctant to turn to the youngsters available.

Although “La Fiera” sits in seventh place in the Liga MX table, “The Green Machine” is a shell of the juggernaut we saw during the Ambriz heyday. León has just 9 goals in 10 games and is only 2-2-2 at home.

After “Las Panzas Verdes” were routed by the Tigres at home last weekend – the team’s second consecutive 3-0 loss – fans were calling for Holan’s dismissal.

Last night, León hosted the Seattle Sounders in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal facing a 3-0 deficit. The Esmeraldas conceded a penalty before the half, essentially eliminating the Liga MX side with 45 minutes remaining.

León looked lost and frantic and Holan seemed like a man without answers as the coach grew visibly more frustrated as the game wound down.

Fidel Ambriz – Ignacio’s son – found the back of the net just before the final whistle to salvage a tie, but the cause was already lost.

Holan has his work cut out for him the rest of the year with only Liga MX hardware to play for. Chances of finishing in the Top 4 and earning a first-round bye in the Liga MX playoffs seem remote, but elimination in the wildcard round will not be satisfactory.

With Ambriz back in Liga MX and on a short leash at Toluca, is it far-fetched to believe that “Nacho” could get a curtain call at the Camp Nou?

Liga MX Matchday 11

In a game that had greater impact on the “Relegation Standings” than the regular-season table, Querétaro defeated visiting Atlético de San Luis 2-1 in a game played in Morelia’s Estadio Morelos.

The Gallos Blancos got the winning goal just 5 minutes after the Tuneros had been reduced to 10 men.

With the win, Querétaro gained some breathing room in its race to avoid paying “relegation penalties” while San Luis remains in the bottom three of the “Relegation Standings,” and thus at risk of paying a hefty fine.