Weeks 11-12 Power Rankings: Pachuca rising up the ranks

A double-dose of matches provided some surprises, producing some significant movement in the middle of the pack.

With Matchdays 11 and 12 squeezed together into last week, not too many teams made any big leaps. You have to look all the way down to last week’s No. 10 (Pachuca) to find a team that won both games.

The Tuzos appear to be clicking on offense and the good showing allowed Pachuca to move up to No. 5. Farther down, Tijuana halted their freefall by winning both their matches but it didn’t earn them much of a bump.

Other big movers were UNAM who climbed up four spots despite only playing once, but that was an impressive win over No. 1 Santos. Querétaro lost both their matches and sank five spots. Puebla scored two upsets and rose six spots while Big 4 teams Guadalajara and Cruz Azul cemented their positions as major disappointments.

Read on for this week’s Viva Liga MX Power Rankings. The figure in parentheses after the team denotes the change in that team’s ranking from last week.

Santos ran into the league’s best defense – the Pumas – and failed to score. (Photo by Mauricio Salas/Jam Media/Getty Images) /

1. Santos (–)

Despite a surprising shutout loss to the Pumas on Sunday, the Guerreros remain top of the league table and stay No. 1 here because their closest pursuers also suffered poor weeks.

2. América (+2)

The Aguilas battled back to tie FC Juárez before smashing the Chivas in the Super Clásico. Their leap in the standings is more a reflection of their potential.

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3. Necaxa (+1)

The Rayos could remain near the top of the table though they wasted a great opportunity by failing to get past FC Juárez on Saturday.

4. León (-3)

A very disappointing week for the Esmeraldas probably should have seen them slip farther, but they get the lowly Tiburones at home next.

5. Pachuca (+5)

Two solid wins for the Tuzos saw them reach fifth-place in the league table. Pachuca coach Martín Palermo will hope the upcoming bye doesn’t slow their momentum.

6. Tigres (–)

The Tigres were in danger of slipping into irrelevance after a bad loss to Puebla, but a road win against bitter rivals Monterrey restored their equilibrium.

The Pumas may have salvaged their season after blanking the league’s best team, but they must follow up their win over Santos with consistent play. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /

7. UNAM (+4)

The Pumas had a by midweek, but outworked top-ranked Santos on Sunday to revive fading hopes thanks to their league-leading defense.

8. Querétaro (-5)

The Gallos Blancos lost both their games last week. Coach Víctor Manuel Vucetich must quickly find out how to end this midseason slump.

9. Morelia (-2)

The Monarcas had a bye over the weekend and lost their only game last week, ending their 5-game unbeaten streak.

10. Atlas (+4)

The Zorros lost to Toluca but rebounded with a convincing win over Querétaro, keeping their postseason hopes alive.

After Monterrey lost to the Tigres in the Clásico Regio, coach Diego Alonso was sent packing. (Photo by Alfredo Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /

11. Monterrey (-2)

This team is in disarray after a disheartening loss in the Clásico Regio that saw forward Avilés Hurtado lost for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury.

12. Puebla (+6)

The Camoteros earned wins over the Tigres and León, both huge wins and only their second and third victories of the season.

13. Tijuana (+2)

The Xolos finally stopped their freefall and won both their games last week by the same 3-2 scoreline.

Ariel Nahuelpan and the Xolos of Tijuana won twice last week, but still have a ways to go to become a serious playoff threat. (Photo by Cesar Gomez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /

14. Atlético de San Luis

After a fast start under Gustavo Matosas, the Tuneros lost twice last week and their defense looked vulnerable.

15. FC Juárez (+1)

The Bravos are near the bottom of the league table but this past week they earned ties against América and León. That’s worth a bump up on our rankings.

16. Guadalajara (-4)

The Chivas fell apart against América in the Super Clásico and new coach Luis Fernando Tena faces a difficult task if the Rebaño Sagrado is to salvage this season.

17. Cruz Azul (-4)

The Cementeros squandered a second-half lead (again) against Monterrey, then failed to show up against Pachuca. The 22-year streak without a league title will go on.

18. Toluca (-1)

The Diablos impressed against Atlético de San Luis but then nearly allowed Veracruz to end its 13-month winless streak against them.

19. Veracruz (–)

Credit to the Tiburones for their valiant effort against Toluca, but it will take more than a near win to move them out of this spot.

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