Whenever the number 7 ranked team in the playoffs is able to bounce the second ranked team in the competition we have to call it an upset. Particularly when we’re talking about LigaMX playoffs where the higher ranked team advances if the series ends in a tie. Although they are the 7th ranked team in the league this season Cruz Azul ended the regular season on a high note, and they continued their success in the Wild Card round. Can they keep the clock from striking midnight, and advance to the semi-finals? It’s possible, but they’re going to need to play a great playoff series.
The Last Time These Two Teams Faced Off Monterrey Proved To Be The Better Team
The last time that these two teams were on the field together Monterrey had one of those spurts in which just everything seemed to click for them, and they got up 2-0 quickly. When that happens with a squad like Monterrey there’s just very little that can be done. We’re not just saying that there’s little that Cruz Azul can do. No team in the league will fare well against Rayados if they are clicking. They may very well have the biggest collection of talent in LigaMX on that roster.
What also happened though the last time they met is that after those moments of brilliance there was a let-down by Rayados. Just as quickly as they got up 2-0 they found themselves in a 2-2 draw. At that point Cruz Azul hadn’t done a lot to go ahead and tie the game. One of the keys for Cruz Azul then is to not get down on the scoreboard in those moments when Rayados is all over you. The second key aspect is …
Can Cruz Azul Provoke These Let-Downs In Intensity By Monterrey?
Although Rayados has a ton of talent on the roster most of those talented players aren’t as consistent as they should be. We’ve actually argued that Ponchito Gonzalez for example has proven to be one of the best players in Liga MX when he’s on his game. The problem is, it’s been weeks now since we’ve seen him on his game. Don’t even get us started on Rodolfo Pizarro, he didn’t take his game to Miami, and hasn’t necessarily found back in Monterrey. Maxi Meza is one of the best foreign players to come to Liga MX in the last few years, again though he’s been known to vanish from games.
If the Cruz Azul midfield can provide enough pressure and consistently take the ball away from Rayados they could force those letdowns. The big advantage that Cruz Azul has is that guys like Rodolfo Rotondi, and even Gonzalo Carneiro have no problem getting back on defense. Some of their best plays against Leon for example came about thanks to Carneiro steals.
Is The Cruz Azul Defense The Real Deal?
There’s no question that the Cruz Azul defense has improved in Raul Gutierrez’s tenure as head coach. They’ve only given up 9 goals in his 8 games at the helm. Compare that to the 24 they gave up under Diego Aguirre’s in his 10 games. Even if you consider the Club America game an outlier the team gave up 17 goals in 9 games under Aguirre. There’s no question that the defense has gotten better, but now youngster Rafael Guerrero is hurt as is Cruz Azul’s Funes Mori. In the battle of the twins there’s a chance neither of them is going to play! There are some questions on that back line even if the return of Escobar is excellent news for Cruz Azul. The defense has to hold up otherwise they could be out of the series after the first game.
