Fansided

Holders Cruz Azul must win to defend Copa MX crown

By Thomas Buckley

MONTERREY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 31: Players of Cruz Azul celebrate after victory during the Final match between Monterrey and Cruz Azul as part of the Copa MX Apertura 2018 on October 31, 2018 in Monterrey, Mexico. (Photo by Gustavo Valdez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
MONTERREY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 31: Players of Cruz Azul celebrate after victory during the Final match between Monterrey and Cruz Azul as part of the Copa MX Apertura 2018 on October 31, 2018 in Monterrey, Mexico. (Photo by Gustavo Valdez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Busy mid-February calendar features international matches for four Liga MX clubs while Copa MX still has invitations to hand out. Will Cruz Azul be alive to defend its crown?

Cruz Azul can exhale with a win Tuesday night. A tie or a loss could send Cementeros management into a Code Red alert.

This week marks the final group stage games in the 2019 Clausura Copa MX. There are five games Tuesday and four games Wednesday, with 10 spots still available in the Knockout Stage.

The Concacaf Champions League launches its own Round of 16 knockout stage this week as well. There are four Liga MX squads: Monterrey, Tigres, Santos and Toluca.

And five MLS clubs: Atlanta United FC (league champs, led to the title by Team Mexico manager “Tata” Martino), Toronto FC (runners-up last year to Chivas), Sporting Kansas City, Houston Dynamo and New York Red Bulls).

Back in Liga MX, the coaching carousel continued with the appointment of Víctor Manuel Vucetich to take over the Querétaro job. The Gallos Blancos have lost all 7 of their matches this season.

Defending Copa champs playing for their lives

Cruz Azul is in crisis. Last season’s losing finalist is in 14th place after 7 weeks and coach Pedro Caixinha has been unable to shake his team out of the slump.

Fans are restless and staying away from the stadium that they packed so rowdily last season. The offense is abysmal and injuries have deepened the funk into which the Cementeros have fallen.

After Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Santos, Cementeros fans booed lustily and started chanting “Fuera Pedro”(“Fire Pedro”) and the hashtag #FueraCaixinha is now trending.

Cruz Azul has the opportunity to “climb right back up on that horse” when they host Oaxaca with a chance to win Group 5 and advance into the Knockout Stage to defend their title.

A loss to the second-division Alebrijes would eliminate the Cementeros and a tie would likely do no good either. Cruz Azul must win to secure its continuation in the tournament.

The first group match these two teams played (in Oaxaca) saw Cruz Azul overcome a 1-0 deficit with an 88th minute goal by Edgar Méndez.

Anything other than a win could put Caixinha’s job in jeopardy.

Champions chase begins

Who will succeed the Chivas as kings of the Concacaf Champions League?

The Round of 16 knockout stage kicks off this week with only one Liga MX-MLS match-up. That involves Toluca and Sporting Kansas City.

Keep in mind that the MLS season has not started yet, so their teams are in training camp, whereas Liga MX and other Concacaf leagues are in midseason. So during this round, MLS clubs are at a bit of a disadvantage.

However, Sporting KC gets a break in that Toluca is in very poor form. The Diablos Rojos are stagnant on offense and have been blanked in 4 of their past 5 Liga MX game. Toluca must travel to Kansas City for the Thursday match and the return match in La Bombonera will be exactly one week later.

Elsewhere for Liga MX, the Tigres face Costa Rica’s Saprissa in what should be an entertaining series. Santos Laguna squares off with Honduran side Marathon and Monterrey drew El Salvador’s Alianza FC.

If you’d like to know more, FutnSoccer has a nice preview of all 16 CCL clubs in the knockout stage.

‘King Midas’ to the rescue

Víctor Manuel Vucetich is back with Querétaro, taking over for Rafa Puente, Jr., who was fired after the Gallos Blancos horrifying 0-0-7 start.

Vucetich – who earned the nickname “King Midas” because of his ability to turn seasons around and win titles – is in familiar. He took over there exactly four years ago after Week 7, replacing Ignacio Ambriz (the current León coach). Vucetich sparked a resurgence and the Gallos Blancos finished sixth and made the Clausura 2015 playoffs.

The Gallos Blancos surprised the oddsmakers and made it all the way to the Finals for the first time in club history. Vucetich was unable to win another title, however, losing to Santos, then coached by Pedro Caixinha.

During his illustrious career, “King Midas” Vucetich has guided four clubs to five Liga MX titles and three other clubs to Copa MX titles (including Querétaro in the season after their Finals appearance). “Vuce” also led Monterrey to a Concacaf Champions League three-peat, hoisting the CCL trophy in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Home/Liga MX News