Amid last-minute changes, Liga MX plays one last weekend ahead of coronavirus shutdown

Joining most other leagues around the world who put their season on hold due to COVID-19, Liga MX has suspended play going forward after initially starting the weekend off with conservative precautions. That and more in our recap of Week 10 — which could be our last for the foreseeable future.

In the same manner that scorelines can change with dramatic effect in Liga MX, so did the league’s stance in the latest challenge facing the world of sports, the coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, matches were open to the public with precautions that included alcohol-based sanitizers at entrances and a focus on disinfecting/cleaning stadiums. By Saturday, the league announced that remaining games would be played behind closed doors. Then on Sunday, the decision was made to suspend the league entirely after the weekend’s matches were over.

Despite the fact that Liga MX — and the Mexican second division and Liga MX Femenil — made the right choice in the end, it’s fair to wonder why there was so much hesitation from all involved who allowed games to continue. Last Friday, one Mexican sports newspaper perfectly highlighted this by listing a number of competitions across the globe that had justifiably suspended their competitions, while Liga MX decided to remain active.

Nonetheless, after the announcement of the suspension of the league, Sunday’s two final Liga MX matches went on as planned as a farewell before the scheduled inactivity.

As the opening act, Santos Laguna started things off with a narrow 2-1 win over Necaxa. Thanks to goals from Hugo Rodriguez and Brian Lozano, Santos skyrocketed up to 3rd in the league table. Up next was the Clasico Joven between Club America and Cruz Azul. In front of an empty Estadio Azteca, the heavens opened up and pelted the crosstown rivals with hail as they walked out onto the field.

https://twitter.com/FanSidedSoccer/status/1239380083132989440?s=20

In a fitting tribute to the league, the match finished with a dramatic ending.

After Cruz Azul had taken a 1-0 lead early on in the 1st half, Club America were given a penalty in injury time after a consultation with VAR. Cruz Azul goalkeeper and captain Jesus “Chuy” Corona then lunged and saved the penalty, thereby earning three important points and a current spot at 1st place in standings.

The goalkeeper and his Cruz Azul teammates were all smiles as they walked out of the cavernous Estadio Azteca, not knowing when they will play next…

Other big storylines from Week 10

Leon are back to their old goalscoring ways

There was the attack-minded Leon we know and love. After pummeling Juarez 4-1 in Week 9, manager Ignacio Ambriz’s men followed up their performance with a 3-1 win at home against Pumas on Saturday night.

With 23 goals in 10 matches, Leon are now averaging 2.3 goals per 90 minutes.

Outside of first-place Cruz Azul, no team has scored more Liga MX goals in 2020 than Leon. That said, we’ll see what their momentum is like once the season restarts.

Aldo Rocha leads Morelia to an eye-catching 4-0 win

With 65 percent possession and four goals in the victory, there was no doubt that Morelia was dictating the speed and direction of Friday’s game at home against Queretaro. In one of the final matches played with fans before Saturday’s behind-closed-doors ruling, Morelia took charge against a visiting opposition that eventually went down to 10 men by the 75th minute.

Aldo Rocha stole the show with his two goals — along with a couple more from Martin Rodriguez and fan favorite Jose Joaquin “Shaggy” Martinez.

Chivas keep Monterrey winless streak alive in 1-1 draw

Another weekend, another match in which Monterrey failed to secure a victory. After scoring what appeared to be the game-winner in the second half only to have it later called off, Monterrey shuffled to yet another draw, remaining the only Liga MX team without a win.

Monterrey will now have a much-needed break as the current league champions will be given a chance to reassess their plans over the upcoming league suspension.

Other Liga MX results from Week 10

Tigres 3-2 Juarez

Juarez gave them a late scare, but Tigres eventually sneaked by with a 3-2 win over the weekend. The Liga MX giants are now undefeated in their last three matches.

Club Tijuana 3-2 Pachuca

Desperate for good news, Club Tijuana scored more than twice for the first time in a Liga MX match since last September with a 3-2 victory at home. Although much work needs to be done, a playoff position might not be out of the question for the bordertown team once the season returns.

San Luis 0-1 Puebla

Puebla, who only have seven goals in 10 matches this season, have now collected their third win in their last four matches. As for San Luis, this was a highly disappointing result for a side that was recently considered one of the surprise teams of the tournament.

Toluca 2-3 Atlas

In one of the more entertaining matches of the weekend, both sides traded jabs and countless shots in a battle that finished with a late winner from Atlas’ Mauricio Cuero in the 86th minute. The victory is the first for Atlas in Liga MX play since January.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.