The loss to Cruz Azul put Pumas in a very uncomfortable position heading into their last two games of the season. Although they could still sneak into the playoffs their chances are rather slim. The team would have to win their final two games, and hope for some help along the way. In the past week we talked about Pumas being one of the teams that was in the most favorable position out of the clubs that were on the outside looking into the playoffs. This was because most of their games were against teams that were also part of that playoff push. They simply couldn’t pick up enough points, and now they are seemingly the biggest disappointment of the season.
Even Cruz Azul who at one point was left badly hurt and embarrassed by Club America after the 7-0 loss has bounced back rather nicely. Chivas has stumbled as of late, but they more or less got back on track, granted feasting on lower level competition. Pumas couldn’t even pick up points against what was seemingly lower level competition. That got us wondering, what went wrong?
Are Dani Alves, and Toto Salvio To Blame For The Pumas Fiasco
Salvio has shown plenty of flashes this year at Pumas. What can be said about him is that he’s maybe not as consistent as some people would like him to be. That was true about Salvio virtually at every stop in his career. At this point when he’s closer to the end of his career than he is to the beginning, expecting him to carry the team every single game is not realistic. Overall he may very well be one of the best signings in Liga MX this year despite the fact that his team is probably not going to make the playoffs.
Dani Alves on the other hand probably bit off more than he could chew. At this point we don’t know if he insists on playing in the middle of the field or if that’s the manager’s decision. Whatever the case may be they either need to help him by adding more men on that midfield playing with 2 defensive midfielders, and have him almost serve as a number 10 ahead of them. The other option that we’ve thrown out here is to have him play as an offensive winger. Yesterday against Cruz Azul he once again looked old, and out of place only affecting the game in a positive way when he got the chance to take spot kicks or corner kicks.
The Team Should Look For An Experienced Coach
Andres Lillini did a lot for Pumas, particularly in some of those seasons where the team didn’t really invest heavily on top tier players for the roster. He brought along plenty of young players that are now an important part of the squad. Even some not so young players like Palermo Ortiz were essentially rediscovered by him. This season, though, with a much better roster he’s proven that tactically speaking he’s just not a great coach. It’s all about motivating, and getting his guys hyped to play.
At this point the Pumas squad should be in a better position to be able to compete with some of Liga MX’s top clubs. It’s potentially Lillini that’s holding them back. The fact that he’s stuck with Dani Alves in central midfield makes many of us question how tactically sound he really is as a coach. They’ve got Mejia Baron in the front office he could look to bring along someone from his coaching tree. This team has the potential to play a lot better than they have. Maybe this is how far Lillini can take them, and he needs someone to pass the baton to.
