The Tigres will be playing the Apertura 2019 with an eye on winning back-to-back Liga MX titles. Morelia just hopes to contend for the playoffs.
The Tigres have won five league titles since this decade and once again their roster is stacked heading into the Apertura 2019.
Last season was a big success for Coach Ricardo Ferretti’s team. The Tigres had 11 wins, 4 draws, and only 2 losses, while scoring 33 goals and conceding 16. Tuca’s team finished in second place with 37 points, just 4 points behind top-seeded Leon, the team they defeated in the Final.
The Clausura 2019 was just another demonstration of Tuca ball – a capable offense focused on possession and a stingy defense. The Tigres shut out high-powered Leon – the league’s highest-scoring team with 41 goals in 17 regular-season games. Striker André-Pierre scored early in the first leg and the Tigres made that single goal stand up to claim their 7th title.
Tuca Ferretti remains one of the most respected and successful coaches the Liga MX has ever and he enters the Apertura 2019 season with players like Gignac, Edu Vargas, Javier Aquino and Juergen Damm up front, feisty midfielders Guido Pizarro and Rafael Carioca, and defenders Hugo Ayala, Carlos Salcedo, “Chaka” Rodriguez. The versatile Jesus Dueñas can play in midfield or on defense, while veteran goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman is a reliable backstop.
More from Viva Liga MX
- Guillermo Ochoa is out 4-6 weeks
- The Clásico Regiomontano is Heating Up
- Pumas: In Search of Regaining a Top Spot
- Why the United States Is Set to Overtake Mexico on the World Stage
- Erick Gutierrez is out once again
The Tigres are coming off a penalty kick shoot-out loss to America in the Champions Cup. The two teams played to a scoreless draw before the Cup was settled from the penalty spot.
The Monarcas of Morelia are what we might call a “grey team.” Not much emphasis is placed on them throughout the season and they tend not to make much noise in the Liga MX.
Perhaps that could change in the Apertura 2019, but after they missed out on the Liguilla yet again last season (a 2-7-8 record, 20 goals for and 31 against) finishing in16th place. Morelia has a lot to prove this time around, but they were not that active in the transfer market. One potential bright spot is talented young defender Paolo Medina who spent his teen years at the Real Madrid academy.
Prediction
A visit to Monterrey to play the Tigres is a nightmare for any team. It would be shocking if this modest Morelia squad were to escape Estadio Universitario with a win. With all the artillery the Tigres have at their disposal, I don’t see Morelia heading home with a point.