Veracruz ended its Clausura 2019 season with a ridiculously bad record of 0-4-13, the first Liga MX team to finish a season with no points.
Veracruz was finally put out of its misery by America as Roger Martinez and Nico Castillo scored in the Aguilas easy 2-0 victory in Matchday 17. The sad-sack Tiburones finished the season with zero points, the first time that happened in Liga MX history. Veracruz set another ignominious record earlier this season, earning relegation after only 11 games.
This tournament was an utter disappointment for Los Tiburones, who scored only 7 goals in 17 matches while conceding 34. They also suffered the most lopsided loss of the Clausura when Pachuca crushed them 9-2 on Matchday 14. The club’s legacy took a thorough beating throughout the season.
Veracruz was even punished by FIFA (which accounts for their zero points) after Tiburones ownership refused to pay training fees for a player it had acquired from Uruguay. Soccer’s governing body ordered the Tiburones to be stripped of 6 points (they only had 4 at the time) and also hit them with a hefty fine. So the embarrassment was not limited to the field of play.
Additional infamous stats for Veracruz include an ongoing 27-game winless streak dating back to last season and a 660-minute scoreless streak this season when they failed to score until Matchday 8.
Veracruz simply played out the string after Matchday 11, once it had been relegated to Ascenso MX. The Tiburones still have an option of paying a 120-million peso buy-in fee to remain in the top division. It remains to be seen if Veracruz decides to take that route.
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Veracruz owner Fidel Kuri – a constant thorn in the side of league officials – has hinted that he might sell the Tiburones and that would come as a welcome relief to Liga MX.
Just this week, the league announced it intended to add an extra team for the Apertura 2019 season, increasing to a 19-team league. The Tuneros of San Luis have already won the right to promotion after winning the Ascenso MX tournament, so league officials might look favorably upon a Veracruz buy-in which would simplify the process of reaching the 19-team limit. This would likely be more agreeable if Kuri does indeed sell the Tiburones.
Although Veracruz did not produce any notable wins, they did develop a very promising goalkeeper, 21-year-old Sebastian Jurado, a native of the port city who signed a contract extension during the Clausura. The goalie was an acrobat between the pipes (and he needed to be) and without him the team’s horrendous goal differential (-27) would have been considerably worse.
Several big clubs will surely inquire as to Jurado’s availability over the summer. Veracruz management would then have to decide if it was better to get a big hunk of cash for their keeper and use it to plug holes in their line-up or hold onto their local boy.
The next few weeks will reveal what the future holds for Club Veracruz. Meanwhile, their long-suffering fans will fold up and put away their jerseys, while dreaming of better days to come.