ESPN Digital presents you with an evaluation of all the teams and how their current landscape has changed compared to what they had before the new contest began
Seven days of Clausura 2022 have been played and several of the Liga MX clubs have managed to meet the expectations that fans had before the start of the tournament; other teams that were shaping up to be protagonists have delivered disappointing performances.
The teams are arranged according to their place in the General Table
The group led by Nicholas Larcamon had a favorable outlook at the beginning of Clausura 2022 due to the good work they did throughout 2021. However, few Puebla fans imagined that La Franja would position itself as one of the biggest surprises in the championship.
Puebla It is the general leader of Clausura 2022 with 17 points and is the only team in the Liga Mx that remains undefeated in this contest. After their comeback against Chivas, Puebla will now focus on FC Juárez and Cruz Azul, the latter rival being a good opportunity for the Camotero team to show that they have what it takes to fight for the title.
After an unmemorable Apertura 2021 tournament in which they failed to qualify even for the playoffs, Pachuca fans were not sure if their team had what it took to fight for the top places in the standings.
From the hand of William Almada and Nicholas Ibanez, Tuzos are signing an incredible Clausura 2022 with five wins, one draw and one loss. Almada proves to be one of the best coaches in Mexican football and with the Hidalgo team he hopes to win the Mx League title that he was denied during his time with Santos.
After a difficult first tournament as head of Tigres, Michael Herrera has implemented its style in the royal box and with the best version of Andre Pierre Gignacthe university team is emerging as one of the main candidates to win the title.
With a powerful template, the Louse Herrera meets the expectations of the fans by boasting of being the second highest scoring team in the Clausura with 15 goals. In his debut tournament as a feline helmsman, Herrera reached the semifinals and for this event the goal is to reach the grand final.
The Machine failed in the 2021 Apertura by falling in the playoff against Rayados and finishing the regular phase in eighth position. Due to his poor numbers in the previous tournament, Blue Cross started the Closure 2022 with the pressure of fighting for the first places and so far, they are achieving it.
Despite changes at the managerial level and questionable performances against Necaxa, Rayados and Santos, Cruz Azul is only four points away from first place and in the ‘Concachampions’ managed to qualify for the Quarterfinals.
The current champion of the Mx League he started the tournament with the pressure of defending his crown and avoiding being a victim of ‘campeonitis’. Atlas could have better numbers, but they are firmly in the race to be in the league.
The Guadalajara team has 12 units in Clausura 2022 as a result of three wins, three draws and one loss. This week, in which they will face Pachuca and Querétaro, is important for Atlas because they could go up to second place, but poor results could put them out of the Top 10 of Mexican soccer.
Without any signing in the winter window and with a limited squad, few considered that Pumas would be the protagonist of Clausura 2022, but hand in hand with Andrés Lillini and the best scoring version of Jose Rogério De Oliveirathe feline team is only two points away from a direct ticket to the Liguilla.
With 11 units and qualified for the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions LeagueLillini, who has achieved a committed squad and recovered footballers like Alan Mozo, hopes to take Pumas back to the most important instances of the tournament just like the previous contest.
After losing the 2021 Apertura final to Atlas, Ariel Holan he has had to work hard to recover his players and in recent games it seems that La Fiera is reaching his best version
After losing to Cruz Azul and Pumas on Date 4 and 5 respectively, Los Esmeraldas qualified for the quarterfinals of the ‘Concachampions’ and in the Mx League they have two consecutive victories (Chivas and Necaxa). Their next rivals are Rayados and FC Juárez, rivals that seem accessible.
After a disappointing Apertura 2021 when they were eliminated in a playoff against Pumas, Toluca hired Ignatius Ambriz with the intention of fighting for the title, but the performances of the Red Devils do not clear the doubts.
With ‘Nacho’ on the bench Toluca He has suffered painful setbacks (5-0 vs. Pumas and 1-4 vs. Cruz Azul) and the former León coach is struggling to implement his game idea in the scarlet team. This week is key for Ambriz and Toluca to score points against Tijuana and Necaxa, rivals that on paper are weaker than the Devils.
“To the fans I tell them: this has already started and from now on the ‘would have’ are over, we are really going to give it our all. We are going to fight it and we are going to convert all the skeptics, I am convinced of it,” he stressed. Marcelo Michel LeanoChivas coach, prior to the debut of the Sacred Flock in Clausura 2022. So far, Leaño and company have managed to “convert” very few “skeptics.”
With the addition of Robert Alvarado and the permanence of Alexis Vega, Chivas fans expected to see their club in the first places of the general table, but the results have not accompanied the rojiblanca squad. Chivas add three consecutive defeats in the Closing and everything seems to indicate that once again the Flock aspires to qualify for the Liguilla via playoffs.
white roosters Clausura 2022 started with low expectations, but the fans did not expect that the club would not win a game in the first four days. Due to these results, Leonardo Ramos left the club and the board hired Hernan Cristante.
Under Cristante’s orders, Querétaro has shown a better level and got their first victory in the tournament. Gallos will try to take advantage of his good moment to achieve an important victory at the Azteca Stadium against an America that is experiencing one of its most difficult moments in the Santiago Solari era. With a victory against the Eagles, Querétaro hopes to establish itself in playoff positions and avoid being one of the worst clubs in the Mx League as it happened in the previous tournament.
The team of Ricardo Ferretti finished Apertura 2021 as one of the three worst clubs, but despite their poor numbers, the Juárez fans expected better performances in this Clausura 2022 and it seems that the border club has improved, although they are still far from meeting expectations.
With seven points Juarez He is in 12th place, last place in the playoffs, and this week he faces the general leader and the runner-up of the Apertura 2022, so the “Tuca” squad is at great risk of falling out of the playoff zone.
After being out of places in the Liguilla and playoffs the previous tournament, the Rayos did not have a positive scenario for Clausura 2022 and the team from Aguascalientes met the forecasts by winning only one of their first four games, results that caused the dismissal of Paul Guede.
After Guede’s departure, the Necaxa board surprised many fans by hiring Jaime Lozanomedalist in Tokyo 2020 and that it was of interest to several clubs. With the ‘Jimmy’, the Rayos have shown a better level of play and the double date is very important for Necaxa’s new project when facing Mazatlán and Toluca.
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Between Solari’s continuity and Javier Aguirre’s dismissal in Monterrey, we analyze what left the weekend in BBVA MX C22.
The Potosí team managed to qualify for the playoff in the 2021 Opening, so the fans were excited about what the club could do in the 2022 Closing.
However, San Luis lost its first three matches in the new tournament and these results led to the dismissal of Marcelo Mendez. Méndez’s place was taken by André Jardine, who has quickly managed to change the style of play of the club and has achieved important victories such as the 0-2 victory over Rayados. Now, San Luis hopes to repeat the formula to Chivas and achieve a victory that allows him to climb to playoff positions.
With the arrival of Nicolás Benedetti, Oswaldo Alanís and Marco Fabián de la Mora, Mazatlan I expected to sign good performances in Clausura 2022, but so far the best thing they have done is beat America.
Apart from their victory against the Eagles, the Mazatlan project is still not consolidated in the first division of Mexico and it seems that the Sinaloa team will once again sign another bad tournament by having a record of two wins and five defeats in Clausura 2022.
Rayados’ expectations for Clausura 2022 were to win the Mx League title, but at the moment the club is far from fighting for the championship and the defeat against Atlético San Luis caused the departure of Xavier Aguirre.
At 12 units from first place, Monterrey has a very complicated outlook. However, Rayados has time to reverse the situation and it seems that the one chosen to lead the club’s new project is Victor Manuel Vuceticha legend for the royal fans.
The Eagles were the best team in the regular phase of the 2021 Opening and despite not having a good performance in the Liguilla, America was for many the main candidate to win the title of the Closure 2022. The reality has turned out completely different.
America lives its worst moment during the management of Santiago Solari with the fans asking for the departure of the Argentine after only one victory after seven disputed days. The scenario does not look favorable for the Eagles, but if they manage to beat Querétaro and Rayados it could be the beginning of better times for the Americanists.
With the arrival of Pedro Caixinhathe Santos board was showing its desire to win the Liga Mx crown again, but the club’s plans quickly faded.
Out of ‘Concachampions’ and without any victory in the Clausura, Santos decided to end his relationship with Caixinha and curiously, the Warriors achieved their first victory in the Mx League after the departure of the Portuguese. With five units, Santos is far from fighting for the title, however, he is only two units away from the playoff spots.
