Matchday 7 wrap: Another coach sacked as goals pile up

As more balls go into the net, Liga MX teams are sending coaches packing. Four, so far.

It’s only seven weeks into the Clausura 2019 season, but the Apertura 2018 sure seems like a distant memory for some teams, especially last season’s top seed, Cruz Azul. If the Clausura were to end today, five new teams would be in the Liguilla. Defending champion América would even be on the outside looking in.

León is having a season for the ages, hearkening back to the heady days of the back-to-back champions of 5 years ago. Pachuca is not playing particularly well, but they’d be in the playoffs, boosted by the sacking of their coach after the Tuzos were battered by América on Matchday 3.

Already this year, four coaches have been handed their walking papers, in part because of sieve-like defenses. Three of the four teams who changed coaches are giving up more than a goal a game. The latest to get pink-slipped – Rafa Puente, Jr., by Querétaro (pictured at top) – watched as his Gallos Blancos allowed 18 goals through 7 weeks. Of course, Liga MX fans who love high-scoring soccer are getting their fill.

Coaches whose seats are getting hotter

With Querétaro looking for a new coach now, there have been four managers dismissed this season: Pako Ayestarán (Pachuca), David Patiño (Pumas), Enrique Meza (Puebla) and Rafa Puente, Jr. (Querétaro).

There seems to be no doubt that the number will climb to at least 6 and perhaps 7 before the Clausura 2019 comes to an end.

Here’s a look at three coaches who could get canned in the coming weeks.

Pedro Caixinha (Cruz Azul)

Chances of getting fired – 60%

Cruz Azul coach Pedro Caixinha (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)

Cementero fans have already started the “Fuera Pedro” chants and management is increasingly upset at how this season is going in reverse after last season’s Finals appearance. The Cruz Azul offense is dismal despite two big signings (Orbelín Pineda and Jonathan Rodríguez) and the lack of imagination and – in some cases – the lack of effort is disturbing. Injuries and desertions have played a role, but there is talent on this team. Either Caixinha has lost his tactical mojo or the team is suffering a deep psychological depression from its distressing Finals loss to América. Cruz Azul has four very winnable games before visiting league-leading Monterrey. Anything less than 3 wins might see Caixinha out of a job by the end of March.

Hernán Cristante (Toluca)

Chances of getting fired – 66%

Toluca has been shut out in 4 of its past 5 games and the offense seems to be lumbering along without any spark or resolution. The Diablos invested big in the winter market, spending lavishly on all three lines (striker Emanuel Gigliotti, winger Felipe Pardo, midfielder Federico Mancuello and defender Jonathan Maidana), but there has been little to no payback. Upcoming, Toluca plays two legs of a Concacaf Champions League series with Sporting Kansas City with a visit to Santos in between. If the Diablos are knocked out of the CCL in the Round of 16 AND lose to Santos, Cristante is likely to be looking for a new job sooner rather than later.

Roberto Hernández (Morelia)

Chances of getting fired – 50%

Morelia missed out on the playoffs by failing to win its final game last season and the Clausura is off to a terrible start. The Monarcas are 1-1-5, with 3 of those losses coming at home. While management recognizes that they did not provide coach Hernández with a stocked roster, it is easier to fire the coach than to admit their own mistakes. However, I think Monarcas ownership is more likely to let Hernández finish out the season then looking for a new coach heading into the summer. Then again, Morelia visits last-place Querétaro next weekend and a loss there could be the death knell.

Scoring explosion

Six teams scored 3 goals in Matchday 7 and a total of 29 goals were scored in the 9 Liga MX games over the weekend.

Three players scored a brace – Monterrey’s Rogelio Funes Mori (who scored a beauty from more than 35 meters), León’s Angel Mena (who also had an assist) and Tigres striker André-Pierre Gignac – but the scoring star was Alexis Vega who netted a hat trick for Guadalajara in the Clásico Tapatío. For Vega, the goals were the first for him while wearing a Chivas jersey.

Funes Mori leads the league with 7 goals in 7 games, while Mena and Brian Fernández (Necaxa) each have 6 goals. Fernández is on pace with Funes Mori because the Rayos have only played 6 games this season.

Frenchman Gignac has 5 goals for the Tigres, the same as Leo Ramos (Lobos BUAP) who also scored in Matchday 7. Gignac was top goal-scorer last season with 14, while Ramos has been scoring at a rather impressive clip since signing with Lobos last September. The Argentine has scored 13 goals in 16 Liga MX appearances.

The top-scoring Mexican so far in Liga MX is teenager José Juan Macías who has 4 goals for León. Macías, 19, is on loan from the Chivas where he was not granted much playing time by coach José Cardozo.