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The Liga MX has seen some of its weirdest results in the last couple of years but this Clausura has surely got to be one of the most shocking and “unnatural” seasons the league has ever seen. Let’s take a look at the top five teams on the league table and why these teams have stunned fans all across the nation.
The Table:
Oddly enough, after ten games played, the top 5 consists of Tijuana in first, Veracruz in second, America in third, Guadalajara in fourth, and Atlas in fifth. Each of these teams has shown different results than expected based on the results from last season and the transfers made in the January transfer window.
Tijuana, who sits on a comfortable 4 point lead above second place, were not expected to do very well after the news that Cristian Pellerano and Darío Benedetto had been sold to Club America. Benedetto and Pellerano were Tijuana’s “dynamic duo” and proved to be the best part of Tijuana’s attack in 2014. The “Xolos”, however, were able to secure the services of Juan Arango, Gabriel Huache, and Dayro Moreno who netted five goals each for a combined total of 15 goals in 10 games.
Veracruz in second place is also thought of a mystery by many. Here is a team that was 5 points from finishing at the bottom of the league last season. This was a team who, just a few months ago, struggled to keep it together and found themselves fighting to avoid relegation. And now, all of a sudden, the team just works. Their soccer now looks aggressive, and even elegant at some points. Julio César Furch, who is the most lethal of the group, has scored 6 times and tied Matías Alustiza of Puebla for most goals in the league so far.
In third place is Club America. The shocking part is that they are not in first place. During the transfer window, America was one of the highest spending teams in the Liga MX. They signed big name Liga MX players like Benedetto and Pellerano from Tijuana, and Darwin Quintero from Santos Laguna. With a wide array of attacking power and combinations America has yet to see the results they expected and fans of the second largest Mexican club are left with a bitter taste by the performances of their attacking players. Benedetto and Oribe Peralta have created the most goals for Club America with four goals a piece.
Guadalajara has also provided a bit of a shock. At the end of last season, Chivas were in sixteenth place and losing the fight to avoid relegation. They now sit in fourth place, right behind their most envied rival America, who surpassed Guadalajara as the Mexican club with the most domestic championships. Guadalajara has always followed the “100% Mexican” philosophy and only features players who are born in Mexico or are of Mexican descent. Some see this as something to be proud of but others see this as a curse. The only major signing for Guadalajara was that of youngster Isaac Brizuela from Toluca but they also received Marco Fabian and Miguel Ponce back from loans. None of the Guadalajara players have managed to make the top scorer’s list in the league since no player on the squad has netted the ball more than three times.
Atlas is the only consistent team in the top 5. Last season they ended their campaign in third place, despite having the same number of points as the league leaders, Club America. Their attacking mentality and starting squad seem to be just as in tact as last season. Atlas could most definitely be on their way to a good result this season.
The relegation battle:
Relegation in the Liga MX does not work the same way as the some of the other major leagues in the world. For Liga MX, relegation is decided by the amount of games a team has played over the amount of points they have earned in the last three years. This is why two of the top five teams in the league are still very much at risk of relegation.
The team with the most danger of relegation at the moment is Puebla. On match day 10, Guadalajara defeated Puebla with a brace by Erick Torres. This created some space between Guadalajara and Puebla but both teams need to perform well in order to survive. Puebla now has much more to prove but until they begin to accumulate points, they sit at the bottom of the relegation table with 1.0526 points per game.
Guadalajara now has a bit of breathing room but also has to continue to accumulate points in order to avoid what could be the most embarrassing outcome in the club’s 100 year history. Chivas have shown much better form than the soccer they have produced in previous years and has finally begun to show aggression and passion for the game. The Guadalajara club sits in the 16th spot on the relegation table with an average of 1.1053 points per games.
Next is Leones Negros. Universidad de Guadalajara has managed to keep an average of 1.1111 despite being the youngest team in the Liga MX. After finishing last season in fourteenth place, U. de G. has shown significant improvement and was even able to beat Club America in the current Clausura season. Leones Negros have to watch their results with extra caution because they only have two seasons to hold them up and any losses could end up being significant percentage drops.
To finish up the bottom four, Veracruz sits above U. de G. with 1.1475 points per game. If they can continue to produce the type of soccer they have been producing this season, then they have nothing to fear. Veracruz sits four points behind first place Tijuana and will more than likely avoid relegation. Veracruz’s talent and play style have been in excellent form and may even guide the club to be title contenders.
