Club America have finished their season on a high note with a win over Puebla. The Liga MX official Twitter account declared Alvaro Fidalgo the man of the match in that contest. The Spaniard put the game away with the second goal of the match after having the nerve to bring the ball down the box, cut through some Puebla defenders, and put the ball in the back of the net. Just as the match ended the discussion turned to whether Fidalgo could be considered the Liga MX MVP for the entire tournament.
Fidalgo was heavily criticized by many in the media for his lack of consistency with the club. In fact, at the beginning of the season he was not part of the starting 11 that Club America manager Fernando Ortiz considered his premier starting squad Alvaro actually heavily benefited from the multiple friendly games that Club America played at the beginning of the season when Liga MX had already begun play. He essentially used that playing time to leapfrog the likes of Jonathan Dos Santos, and Pedro Aquino in that midfield and insert himself as the starter. Does this mean that he should be considered the league MVP? Let’s look at other options.
Henry Martin or Another Club America Player
Henry Martin was not able to put his name in the fight for the golden boot this Friday after going scoreless against Puebla. It seems like his performance with the Mexican national team, which was lackluster, quieted down the media frenzy around Martin. He had a good year, and he’s an important player for Club America. Are there other players for Club America that could get MVP votes?
Defensively the team was not as solid in stretches, so Ochoa is out of the question. Zendejas at one point though seemed to be everyone’s favorite player. The chatter has died down a ton after he didn’t get a call-up from any national team! Fidalgo may very well edge out his teammates in the conversation.
Nico Ibañez or Luis Chavez At Pachuca
Pachuca had their ups and downs during the tournament. They are certainly a team that no one wants to face in the tournament. Liga MX’s top goalscorer Nico Ibañez certainly has a claim for the MVP. He’s solved a position that Pachuca has been struggling with since the departure of Franco Jara. The fact that sometimes not even people in Pachuca want to go see the team certainly hurts their players in the league wide conversation for top talent. Luis Chavez knows that all too well. If Fidalgo is going to get MVP consideration Chavez can be in the mix as well. He brought balance to Pachuca’s midfield, something that Victor Guzman had struggled to provide at times. Although it could be argued that Guzman is a better offensive threat than Chavez.
The Most Underrated MVP Candidate : “Ponchito” Gonzalez From Rayados
Rayados was a team that flew under the radar a lot. That had plenty to do with the fact that everyone was talking about Club America’s win streak! Yet, Rayados was not far off in points, they were only 4 down heading into their last game. Ponchito Gonzalez was a big part of that success for Rayados this season. When he was on the field, Rayados could quickly become the most feared team in the league. The problem with Poncho is that he’s not always available. He would split time with Rodolfo Pizarro in some games. Still, there’s an argument to be made that his presence on the field puts Rayados on another level. It’s virtually the same argument that people have to put Fidalgo as the MVP. He also stayed on the bench at times this season. Who do you think is the regular season Liga MX MVP?
