Liga MX recap: For the first time in years, Chivas look like a playoff team

Liga MX giants Chivas are finally looking at a potential postseason run for the first time since early 2017. That and more in our recap of what you need to know from the Week 9 of the 2020 Clausura.

Just a few weeks ago, it was unclear whether Chivas manager Luis Fernando Tena was going to keep his job. As if leading arguably the most popular soccer team in Mexico (and perhaps North America) wasn’t already stressful enough, Tena found himself in mid-February with his club on a five-game Liga MX winless slide and pressure mounting.

This wasn’t just any Chivas roster either. Always the focus of intense attention, Mexican media called the Guadalajara club the Super Chivas and Chivas Galacticas after they brought in talented names such as Uriel Antuna, Jose Juan Macias, Cristian Calderon and others over the winter. Desperate for a return to the playoffs after missing out in the last five seasons, Chivas ownership spent big money in order to bolster the squad.

It wasn’t super from the start, though, and Tena’s strengthened side met early obstacles as the coach attempted to balance a focus on either his tactics or on incorporating his new players.

In recent weeks, however, things have finally started to click. After defeating Xolos 1-0 in Tijuana to snap the winless skid and then Leon 2-0 at home last week, Chivas followed up those good performances with a dramatic 2-1 Clasico Tapatio win over crosstown rivals Atlas on Saturday.

Despite their detractors fixating on the scrappy and controversial nature of this weekend’s match – which featured two red cards, seven more yellows and a total of 23 fouls – the most important talking point here for Chivas fans is that their players and manager have now completely turned their season around with three consecutive wins that have pushed them up to fifth place in the standings at the halfway point in the Clausura.

Clausura 2020 Regular Season Table

Rk	Squad	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GDiff	Pts
1	Cruz Azul	9	6	1	2	23	14	+9	19
2	León	9	6	0	3	20	13	+7	18
3	América	9	5	2	2	11	10	+1	17
4	UNAM	9	4	3	2	19	16	+3	15
5	Guadalajara	9	4	3	2	12	10	+2	15
6	FC Juárez	9	4	2	3	18	15	+3	14
7	Querétaro	9	4	2	3	13	11	+2	14
8	Pachuca	9	4	2	3	9	9	0	14
9	Santos	9	4	2	3	12	13	-1	14
10	Atlético	9	3	4	2	11	14	-3	13
11	Necaxa	9	3	2	4	16	14	+2	11
12	UANL	9	3	2	4	10	8	+2	11
13	Puebla	9	3	2	4	6	7	-1	11
14	Morelia	9	3	2	4	13	16	-3	11
15	Toluca	9	2	4	3	14	15	-1	10
16	Tijuana	9	1	3	5	7	14	-7	6
17	Atlas	9	2	0	7	7	15	-8	6
18	Monterrey	9	0	4	5	9	16	-7	4

Provided by FBref.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/9/2020.

Chivas remain an unrefined project — and there’s still work to be done in coming weeks with that balance of properly allocating new players — but they’re also an exciting one.

If Tena can maintain this momentum and can continue to build upon his success, Chivas might be able to achieve something that they haven’t been able to do in their last five seasons: Qualify for the playoffs.

Other big storylines from Liga MX Week 9

Club America and Pumas put on a show in the weekend’s other Clasico

The drama of the Clasico Capitalino between Pumas and Club America truly started to kick-off in the final stages of the second half. With 43,500+ watching at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario, Pumas scored twice in 120 seconds to take a narrow 3-2 advantage by the 84th minute.

Moments after the stadium erupted into a frenzy for the home-side — and after Pumas manager Michel Gonzalez bounded up and down the sidelines as if his team had just won a championship — Club America’s Henry Martin spoiled the party with a 94th minute header (shoulder?) that secured a 3-3 draw.

Words alone don’t do this game justice, just look at the highlights below.

Cruz Azul hold onto spot at first in the league table

League-leaders Cruz Azul made sure to completely squash any hopes of an upset by Xolos. After the bordertown team scored first in the 21st minute at the Estadio Azteca, Cruz Azul eventually surged back in a wild shootout that ended in a 4-2 win for the Mexico City club.

That’s now 23 goals and 19 points in 9 games for the Cruz Azul squad that has held onto its place atop the league table. A spot in the playoffs is now within reach, but once there, that’s a different conversation altogether for the team that is synonymous with bad luck.

Leon highlight attacking potential in 4-1 away win

After losses to LAFC in the CONCACAF Champions League and Chivas in the Clausura, Leon bounced back by unleashing four second-half goals during Sunday’s 4-1 away win over Juarez. Led by Angel Mena, who finished with two goals and an assist, Leon obliterated Juarez in the last 45 minutes of a game that could have potentially ended with five or six goals on the board.

Liga MX teams beware. Leon have numerous defensive weaknesses, but at their best, Sunday’s performance proved that the side currently in second place can release an onslaught of goals at any moment.

Other Liga MX results from Week 9

Monterrey 2-2 San Luis

Monterrey, the current and hapless Liga MX champions, have yet to win a game this season. After earning a red and then somehow taking charge with a 2-0 lead by the 56th minute, Monterrey allowed two goals from San Luis in the final 10 minutes.

Queretaro 1-1 Toluca

Queretaro aren’t as flashy as most other Liga MX clubs, but they’ve been able to get the job done with two draws and a win in their last four games. They’re also one of only four teams that have been able to hold onto a top-eight position since Week 2.

Necaxa 1-2 Morelia

If you needed any more proof that this might be a rebuilding season for Necaxa, look no further. The recent loss at home is their fourth defeat in their last five matches.

Puebla 0-0 Tigres

In a match that featured a whopping 620 passes from Tigres, the visiting side only managed to finish with a total of three shots on target. Another fairly unexciting approach from manager Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti who rarely likes to push the envelope.

Pachuca 1-0 Santos Laguna

After struggling to make much of an impact in recent years, Pachuca have sneaked back into a playoff-worthy spot in the top eight for the first time in 2020. Don’t overlook their roster that has a number of intriguing and talented names.