5 Bold Predictions for Guardianes 2020

With the Liga MX about to resume play again, we look at some bold predictions that may shape how the Guardianes 2020 will be remembered.

Think of this as Stephen A. Smith takes on Liga MX except he may be right on some of these. Many of these predictions are probably on the mind of many fanbases but its time to make them known to the whole Liga MX community. Some of these may spark outrage, confusion, or maybe under the radar ideas we had not even imagined. Either way that’s enough foreshadowing. Let’s get to it.

Pablo Guede transforms Tijuana into a powerhouse

Pablo Guede’s tenure in Monarcas saw him transform a bottom table team into an exciting possession-based high pressing team that week in and week out was a tough matchup for anyone.  The controversy of the moving of the team saw him lose his spot with the Morelia side and he found himself without a job. Many in the Liga MX community knew it was only a matter of time before someone snatched him up, either in Mexico or abroad. This is where Tijuana came in.

Not only do they bring in Guede but they also bolster the team in ways, not even a Tijuana’s fan could have imagined. Now Guede has the backing of the front office, something he didn’t fully have at Monarcas, and a deep team with tons of quality. Because of this look for Tijuana to fight for the top four spots in the Guardianes 2020. What Guede didn’t have in Morelia he has in Tijuana and that is time. Time to establish a full football idea from the ground up and with the backing of Grupo Caliente. Look for Tijuana to surprise many people in the years to come as Pablo Guede solidifies himself as one of the top managers in Liga MX.

Leo Fernandez and Andre Gignac take over Liga MX

Leo Fernandez serves as the catalyst for Toluca last year and his return to Tigres was only a matter of time. After the Copa por Mexico is clear to see that the rest of the Liga MX should be very worried. Leo Fernandez and Andre Gignac seem to be on the same page from the beginning. The Copa por Mexico saw Fernandez showcase the ability that made him such a coveted acquisition for Tigres. Gignac has arguably been the best player in Liga MX for a couple of years now. Now Gignac gets a player of his quality to accompany him on the attack. The strong get stronger and Tigres now possesses the most dangerous duo in Liga MX.

The Mauro Quiroga and Nico Ibanez experiment fails

Preseason games and cups should always be taken with a grain of salt. Especially after the players have been inactive for close to four months. Nonetheless, it is worrisome to see how Atletico San Luis attacking duo faired in the Copa Telcel. Arguably the “bomba” signing of this transfer market was the transfer of Mauro Quiroga from Necaxa to San Luis. Many thought this would lead to a powerful duo of Quiroga and Nico Ibanez. A one-two punch that would instill fear in every Liga MX team. What the Copa Telcel showed us is that for the foreseeable future this won’t be the case.

The inherent problem of playing them together is that they don’t complement each other. Ibanez and Quiroga are your classic 9. When playing together Ibanez drifted out to the wing and this put him out of position. Since Ibanez was being pushed to the wing Quiroga found himself alone in the attacking third most of the time. The only time it seemed like the pairing would work was when Ibanez would make forward runs in between the center backs. Even then the pairing seemed congested. This is definitely a storyline to follow with San Luis since the success of the pairing will determine the success of the team in Guardianes 2020.

Miguel Herrera leaves Club America

After the Copa por Mexico, many were asking for Miguel Herrera’s head since he wasn’t able to achieve a win against their key rivals Chivas. Aside from the results America just didn’t seem their usual self. They relied on golazos to even be able to put up something on the scoreboard and the style of play was difficult to watch. Their veteran center-backs made uncharacteristic errors and el Piojo’s classic style of play was not seen in the Copa por Mexico games.

Now, what does this prediction say? This prediction explores two possibilities, either America fires Miguel Herrera or Herrera leaves to Europe. If this current form continues then America would most certainly fire their main man. Especially if they begin the tournament in a lackluster fashion. But let’s say this doesn’t happen. A month ago Herrera was linked to a move to Europe, with the team being linked being Real Betis. If Miguel Herrera gets America back on track and contending for a title it will only be a matter of time before a European club comes calling. Either way, Guardianes 2020 will be the last season we see Miguel Herrera at the head of Club America.

Chivas Guadalajara will be the champions

Ricardo Pelaez’s vision for Chivas comes to fruition in Guardianes 2020. Chivas now boasts a full squad that is oozing with quality and has depth in each line of the squad. Many were skeptical of Luis Fernando Tena as the head coach of Chivas but the few games of Copa por Mexico showed us that Tena has imprinted his style of play on the club. Chivas also boasts quality players like Jose Juan Macias, Uriel Antuna, Fernando Beltran, Jesus Angulo, and Hiram Mier. It is because of these players and Tena’s vision for the club that Chivas is my favorite to win the Guardianes 2020. Look for them to fight for the first or second spot in the table and surprise many people on their quest for another championship. Ricardo Pelaez does it again.