Liga MX: Necaxa are the surprise of young Apertura
Despite the 5-3 loss to Pumas in Week 2 Liga MX action, Necaxa appears to be a club on the rise.
After the match ended Sunday, #LigaMXEng on Twitter was buzzing with excitement for the match they had just witnessed. Pumas and Necaxa had scored a combined 8 goals in their wide open Liga MX Apertura match, prompting those watching to shake their heads in disbelief. Not only was this a fun match to watch, but it highlighted the potential Necaxa has shown since the season began.
In week 1, Necaxa surprised many by jumping on Club America early and causing Las Aguilas into errors. Ultimately, it was this pressure that allowed Victor Davila to score the 1st goal of the match and head into halftime with an early lead.
After winning that match, much of the talk centered on the shortcomings of Club America, rather than what Necaxa was doing. Los Rayos played the same way in week 2, though, and people are starting to notice how exciting this team is.
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In many ways, a team is a reflection of their coach. Necaxa manager, Marcelo Michel Leano, is only 31-years old, you may have heard, and his team certainly plays with energy and aggressiveness that would seem to make sense from a young manager. As the only coach in the first division of Mexican soccer to have never played at the professional level, it would be understandable if Necaxa played the defensive hold-for-a-0-0-draw style. It is breath of fresh air to see them play more open football.
Captained by Matias Fernandez in the middle, Necaxa has a strong player to lean on. His thunderbolt of a free kick against Pumas provides a glimpse of what he provides on the offensive end. The trio of Matias Fernandez, 20-year-old Victor Davila and 23-year-old Brian Fernandez has scored all five of Necaxa’s goals through two matches. Playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation makes them an effective spearhead for the attack.
Negatively, the Necaxa defense has been a weak spot. They allowed a whopping 12 shots inside the box against Pumas and another 9 against Club America the week before. The leaky defense left Necaxa fortunate, perhaps, to have won the America match. It certainly makes for fun matches like the one we just witnessed against Pumas, however. Although I’m sure Necaxa fans can do without that bit.
As the season progresses, one of the storylines to watch will be how Necaxa develops and whether their defense can morph into something a bit stronger to allow this team to cement its status among the better sides in Liga MX. They have matches coming up against Tampico Madero in the Copa MX, Lobos BUAP in LIga MX, and then a rematch with Pumas in the Copa that should provide more of a sample size to judge them by. I would advise everyone to watch when they can. There is potential for some serious fireworks.