Guerreros take advantage of Necaxa hiccup
1. Santos (+1)
That’s the Guerreros team we’re used to seeing! Brian Lozano and Julio Furch led the way again as Santos Laguna romped to a 4-1 home win over Tijuana, ending a two-game losing streak in which they scored exactly 0 goals.
2. Necaxa (-1)
The Rayos let one get away from them and it costs them here in our rankings. Allowing a late tying goal against 10-man América is deflating, but they don’t slide very much because they played quite well. Poor finishing and stellar goaltending kept them from winning.
3. León (+2)
The Esmeraldas went into the cauldron of Estadio CU without their team leader (captian Luis Montes) and scored twice against the league’s best defense to defeat the Pumas 2-1. Now, they need to find consistency.
4. Tigres (-2)
These guys showed little sportsmanship against fellow soccer players, scoring twice while their opponents – Veracruz – were staging a legitimate protest. They deserve to be vilified. That’s not why we dropped them two spots, however. The Santos and León wins were simply more impressive.
5. América (–)
The Aguilas have just one win in their past nine games (1-6-2), yet they remain in the mix for a top seed. This speaks to their toughness and savvy. On the other hand, their physical style is the reason they are among the league leaders in red cards.
6. Querétaro (+1)
Still not sure if the Gallos Blancos have officially been awarded a win for Sunday’s game in San Luis that was abandoned in minute 85 due to fan violence. But Querétaro played a solid defensive game and were opportunistic on offense. A good combination.
7. Morelia (+4)
The Monarcas impressed with a solid road win in Estadio Azteca against Cruz Azul. Coach Pablo Guede has his modest team in the hunt for a playoff spot, and legitimately so.
8. Atlas (+1)
The Zorros are hard to figure out. Their big problem is a lack of offensive firepower and their youthful over-exuberance can get them in trouble, too. But we must keep in mind that Atlas was at a disadvantage since several of its key players were busy with the U-22 team over the FIFA break.