Before the season started Tigres was one of the most solid title contenders out there. The team came into the season have already gotten considerable time to get used to Miguel Herrera’s leadership style after so many years under Tuca Ferreti. On paper they are the second most expensive roster in Liga MX. That fact alone would make the team title contenders in many people’s books. Yet, they’ve had a bit of an up and down year. The loss to Leon clouded the team with doubts, but just a few days later they came up big beating down badly on Chivas 4-1.
Any sports league in the world can suffer from the,“what have you done for me lately” syndrome. The trouble with Tigres’ situation is that we can’t decide if they are the team that lost to Leon or they’re the team that embarrassed Chivas. Can they really be considered title contenders?
Why Tigres Can Be Considered Title Contenders
Let’s look at the glass half full first. There are two main reasons why Tigres can be considered title favorites, and both of them were on display yesterday. The first reason is the individual talent on the team. Nahuel Guzman showed that when he’s not up to his usual play around antics he’s arguably the best goalkeeper in the league.
He kept his team in the game multiple times in the first half. Also, the two goals by Juan Pablo Vigon show the team’s depth. He’s not necessarily the guy that you think about when discussing the talent Tigres has on the squad. Yet, he showed he’s more than capable of being a very decent two-way player in that midfield. Of course opposing teams still have to contend with Gignac up front. Even though he wasn’t the determining factor in the last Tigres win, he’s still overly talented. Florian Thauvin also flashes his talent from time to time. He’s been widely inconsistent, and he can disappear from games. He only needs one play though to change the outcome of the game, and he’s proven that.
If there’s one man that’s caring the squad it’s Sebastian Cordova. He’s another one of those players that is immensely talented, but has a tendency to disappear from games. Going back to the Club America game that they ultimately lost, he still was the player that was calling for the ball, and actively looking to make something happen. The team has talent, and an experienced manger which is the other key component that can make them contenders.
Reasons Why We May Need To Pump The Brakes A Bit
The win was great for Tigres let’s not get that one twisted. However, they were outplayed badly for 20 minutes and change. That mostly happened because some of their old guys in midfield had a lot of trouble with the quick feet of the Chivas players. They got bailed out by Nahuel Guzman and the fact that Chivas has a really tough time finding the back of the net. That midfield for Tigres with Guido Pizarro, and Vigon looked old and slow.
Yeah, Vigon made up for it by pitching in two goals, but teams like Pachuca or Club America who are arguably just as dynamic as Chivas won’t be so forgiving in front of goal. Ultimately Miguel Herrera has to find a way to limit the amount of times that his midfield is playing in space against talented offensive midfielders. He may have to take a page out of Tuca Ferreti’s book, and play a more conservative style, putting more people in that central midfield area to sure up the team. If not they can get exposed. Overall, we think we have to pump the brakes on Tigres. The win’s great, but it shouldn’t mask their true deficiencies.
