Liga MX: Santos Laguna can challenge for the top

With a favorable schedule, a young core and Julio Furch in great form, Santos has a great opportunity to finish near the top of the Liga MX table in this Apertura.

Santos Laguna has had a pleasant 1st half to the 2018 Liga MX Apertura. That alone should be cause for optimism for Guerreros fans. Fortunately, it isn’t the only reason to believe the club should end the season higher in the table than where they currently sit at 5th.

Julio Furch’s great form

Since coming to Santos, Julio Furch has played a significant role on the club. During the 2017 Apertura and their championship 2018 Clausura, Furch contributed 18 goals and 5 assists in 38 total Liga MX matches. In fact, leading goal-scorer Djaniny Tavares had 20 goals and 4 assists in about the same amount of games. In retrospect, it may be worth wondering whether Furch or Djaniny were a bigger influence on the season.

Tavares is gone now, however. Furch hasn’t slowed down. Though he missed the 1-1 draw against Cruz Azul, the 29-year-old striker has potted five goals and has been scoring at a rate of one goal every 1.3 games. That kind of consistency is obviously helpful to the success of the squad. But his contributions don’t stop there. With his excellent anchor play up front, he’s provided four assists which leads not only Santos, but Liga MX overall.

Furch’s play isn’t new. It is who he is as a player and may even indicate another level is possible for him. With nine matches left in the Apertura, Furch’s productive leadership can provide the example and stability for Santos’ younger players to improve greatly heading into the Liguilla.

Young Core Group

Led by Furch, the other key players on this Santos squad are predominantly 25 years of age or younger. Jonathan Rodriguez and Brian Lozano are the next two top scorers for the club and are 25 and 24, respectively. Behind them, Deinner Quiñones (23) and Ayrton Preciado (24) provide interesting youthful options off the bench.

The three defenders called up to Mexico this week are also under 25 years old, with Jesus Angulo (20) starting against Uruguay, and Gerardo Arteaga (19) and Jose Abella (24) on the bench. In addition, recent signing Doria (23) has been a great addition as well.

That Santos has reached 5th in the table on the backs of so much youth can only bode well for the rest of the season. Look for Angulo, Abella, and Doria to continue to start and grow stronger defensively, while Arteaga will only get better and better as the season progresses.

Favorable Schedule

Given these advantages Los Guerreros have had, perhaps the biggest reason for optimism is the remaining schedule.

Following a home match with Leon on September 14, Santos gets a stretch of matches with Veracruz at home, Necaxa away, and Atlas at home, before facing off with Pachuca on the road. Then they get Monterrey at home, Queretaro away, and America at Estadio Corona. They’ll finish off the 2018 Apertura with a match in Mexico City against Pumas.

By my count, their next five matches are against teams who have combined for 37 goals-for and 61 goals against. Two of those matches are on the road, where Santos have been a bit more suspect, but there is no reason to think Los Guerreros shouldn’t come away with at least 10 points of the possible 15.

They finish the Apertura with four matches against teams currently in the top eight of the table. Getting home matches with Monterrey and America, however, is about the best draw they could have hoped. Queretaro has been on a tear as of late, but there is reason to wonder whether they can continue it. Six of their 10 goals on the season came in the last two matches. Pumas on the road won’t be a walk in the park, by any means, but this Pumas team doesn’t look like they are worthy of the 4th spot in the Liga MX table, where they currently sit.

Prediction Time

All told, here is how I see the 2018 Apertura finishing off for Santos Laguna:

v Leon – W

v Veracruz – W

@ Necaxa – W

v Atlas – W

@ Pachuca – D

v Monterrey – D

@ Queretaro – D

v America – D

@ Pumas – W

Final Point Total: 33pts

This should be good enough for top 3 in the table heading to Liguilla.

Am I over-rating the chances of the 2018 Liga MX Champs? It’s possible. But given the obstacles they’ve already overcome thus far, it’s hard to doubt them now.

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