Cruz Azul found a way to win their last game of the season against Chivas. It was a hard fought game in the first half with neither team really creating a ton of chances in front of goal. Ramiro Funes Mori got injured in the last few minutes of the first half, and that threw Cruz Azul’s strategy down the drain, which kind of caused the game to open up. Chivas seemed to be the team with a better offensive presence in those moments however in one of the few times that Cruz Azul was able to find space on the wing to cross the ball into the box, the errant cross found Uriel Antuna who cut back towards his left foot, and found the back of the net.
That play sort of epitomized what Cruz Azul has been able to do in their last few games. They’ve proven to be an opportunistic bunch. In the second half Chivas came back to tie the game, and essentially controlled possession for the entire half. Again though, in a play out of the blue Cruz Azul was again able to find space on the wing, and the terrible Chivas defense allowed Michael Estrada to meet the cross wide open in front of goal. Even though they won, Cruz Azul wasn’t dominant or convincing, but they are opportunistic. How far can they ride that wave?
Cruz Azul Needs Defensive Stability
When Ramiro Funes Mori was on the field the team looked solid defensively, Chivas didn’t even get a shot on goal. That’s not to say that Funes Mori is the answer, but when he left the pitch Cruz Azul moved to a back 4 instead of a back 5. That allowed the game to essentially burst open. Chivas still didn’t find shots on goal, but was pressuring further up the field. That actually helped lead to the breakaway which ended in the cross that found Antuna who put the ball in the back of the net.
Again we’re not necessarily saying that Funes Mori is the clear cut answer. However, last night Luis Abraham saw the field, and he looked kind of shaky. Huescas has been a true revelation on the wing in that back 5. He didn’t look great offensively, but he was able to hold off Alexis Vega all game. That was certainly a tough assignment for the young Huescas. In the 7 games that Raul Gutierrez has coached the team they’ve only conceded 9 goals. That’s compared to the 25 goals that the team gave up in the Aguirre days. If they can keep that defensive consistency they’ll have a shot.
The Team Has Some Offensive Firepower
Cruz Azul scored 26 goals this season, a stat line that puts them in the top 6 offenses in the league. Although they were unable to find a go-to number 9 they found the next best thing. Multiple players have been able to find the back of the net on a consistent basis. Gonzalo Carneiro seems to have secured his place as the starting number 9. He even contributed with a great defensive play in Cruz Azul’s box. Michael Estrada without a ton of minutes on the pitch, and not participating all that much in the game overall still found the perfect spot to poach in the winning goal against Chivas.
Taking all of this into account it does seem like Cruz Azul can match up well with any team in the league at this point. They are coming into the playoffs in better shape than both Puebla and Leon who they could face in the Wild Card round. The team’s liberated itself of all of the pressure that they went through during the season, now the sky’s the limit.
