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Liga MX opening weekend play round up

By Nestor Esquivel

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JULY 26: Alfredo Talavera #1 of Pumas UNAM celebrates after the second goal of his team during the 1st round match between Pumas UNAM and Queretaro as part of the Torneo Guard1anes 2020 Liga MX at Olimpico Universitario Stadium on July 26, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JULY 26: Alfredo Talavera #1 of Pumas UNAM celebrates after the second goal of his team during the 1st round match between Pumas UNAM and Queretaro as part of the Torneo Guard1anes 2020 Liga MX at Olimpico Universitario Stadium on July 26, 2020 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /
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Liga MX came back like it never left and brought to us some entertaining games.

It was about time for Liga MX, but it’s a bittersweet feeling as COVID-19 is till affecting Liga MX players and Mexico as a whole, never the less live sports in any way is exciting. Here’s a recap of this weekend’s play.

Pachuca plays America on Monday the 27th of July, as well as Mazatlan, take on Puebla, and Juarez takes on Atletico San Luis. Let’s also not forget that Monterrey takes on Toluca on Tuesday the 28th of July. The game was postponed due to Hurricane Hanna.

Andre-Pierre Gignac of Tigres celebrates his goal against Necaxa during a Mexican Apertura tournament football match at the empty Victoria Stadium in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes state, Mexico on July 24, 2020, amid the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic. – The tournament is played without spectators as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by VICTOR CRUZ / AFP) (Photo by VICTOR CRUZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Andre-Pierre Gignac of Tigres celebrates his goal against Necaxa during a Mexican Apertura tournament football match at the empty Victoria Stadium in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes state, Mexico on July 24, 2020, amid the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic. – The tournament is played without spectators as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by VICTOR CRUZ / AFP) (Photo by VICTOR CRUZ/AFP via Getty Images) /

Necaxa 0- 2 Tigres: Andre-Pierre Gignac went off scoring 2 goals and with that brace leaving him with 114 goals. He’s nearing records like Argentine ‘Chaco’ Gimenez ‘s 116. It’s exciting to see history being broken and he will be passing a lot of Liga MX legends up this season, and Tigres look decent, the GNP cup looks to have helped them get prepared for the season. Necaxa on the other hand left much to be desired with bad defensive work, and since selling their best weapon in Argentine Mauro Quiroga to Atletico San Luis the struggles just pile on.

Chivas 0-0 Leon: Chivas have been decimated by COVID-19 with now 3 players and their head coach Fernando Tena being out.  Players as Fernando Beltran, Alexis Vega, and Uriel Antuna make up a good part of the Chivas attacking threat and it showed they lacked firepower with them being out and two defensive midfielders in Gallio Vasquez and Jesus Molina starting. Isaac Brizuela, Angulo, and J.J Macias could only do so much. Chances were far and between for Chivas who were on their back foot the whole game. Leon controlled the tempo of the match and had three outstanding opportunities to score from their best offensive player Ecuadorian Angel Mena and they didn’t take advantage of any single one of those changes.

Cruz Azul 2-0 Santos: Cruz Azul won the GNP cup and they came into this game hungry and dominated with 22 shots compared to Santos’s 7 and almost having 70 percent possession winning a penalty early on and Santos defender Hugo Rodriguez was sent off within the first 20 minutes. Then Cruz Azul won a penalty, it was blocked by Santos keeper Carlos Acevedo but went back into the front of Jonathan Rodriguez where he didn’t miss a second time, Cruz Azul was up 1-0. Alexis Gutierrez scored to finish Santos Laguna off 2-0 and make the win comfortable, which by the way the conditions for this game were nasty, rainy, and bad.

Pumas 3-2 Queretaro: When someone thinks of a mid-day Pumas game no one expects it to be a 5 goal thriller, but that’s what it was. One own goal by both teams, and Queretaro’s Alfonso Luna being thrown out after he picked up a red in the 57th minute. Leaving Pumas U.N.A.M with the advantage of 11 players to 10.  Pumas player Juan Ignacio Dinenno’s first goal in the first half was almost not enough when Queretaro striker Angel Sepulveda’s free-kick went in due to Alfredo Talavera’s poor attempt at a save in the 73rd minute. Thankfully Dinenno responded again late in the second half to secure Pumas victory These teams were more evenly matched than many thought they would be, especially Queretaro, who in this past offseason lost a lot of their players to Xolos of Tijuana.

Atlas 1-3 Xolos: Atlas looked good in the first half. Luciano Acosta was dribbling all over the field and even scored a nice goal in the 21st minute tieing the game after Xolos Miller Balanos gave Xolos the lead for a few minutes. Then the second half came and Xolos just overpowered Atlas in every facet of the game with 57 percent possession. Shortly after the second half Jordi Cortizo gave Xolos the 2-1 lead after a beautiful Bryan Angulo assist. Then Atlas’s Brayton Vasquez got sent off in the 60th minute after a nasty tackle on Jordi Cortizo, originally a yellow and then the ref reviewed it and issued a red. Xolos weren’t content with the 1 goal lead and even in the dying minute of extra time were attacking. Atlas’s Hugo Nervo tried making a simple clearance after he got a foot on it after it traveled in the air and ended up kicking it towards his own goal, for an own goal. Xolos win 3-1 and Atlas looks like a mess. It is early in the season but disappointing from Atlas per usual, hopefully, they can turn it around in week 2.

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