Cruz Azul took a commanding 2-0 lead in their quarterfinal series of the Liga MX playoffs against Pumas on Thursday night. They came in to this match as heavy favorites by being the number 2 seed and Pumas being number 7.
Cruz Azul has been plagued by bad playoff performances for years so a commanding win to start their playoff run is a welcome sight for their fans. A win in the hostile environment of UNAM even better. It seemed like Cruz Azul was well rested and ready to go from the opening whistle.
Can Cruz Azul continue this form and win a title?
Cruz Azul On the Attack
The key to winning in a 2-game series for the favored team is to try and put the series away in the first game. That’s what Cruz Azul did, not giving Pumas hope in the first half by taking the lead early. There weren’t any instances throughout the first half that Pumas could maintain any pressure on Cruz Azul.
Ignacio Rivero gave Cruz Azul the lead in the 26th minute. A horrible attempt by Pumas goalkeeper Julio González to clear the ball away led to him being stranded with an empty net. The ball came to Rivero and he shot it in the net. Cruz Azul has struggled to put away the chances they get in these types of games but not in this one.
Cruz Azul continued to push for a second goal and it came early in the second half in the 57th minute from Lorenzo Faravelli on a perfect one-time shot after Rodrigo Huescas dribbled around many defenders to create an open shot for Faravelli.
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Cruz Azul: Solid Midfield and Defense
They say the game is usually won in the midfield. Cruz Azul dominated the ball by having 55% of the possession and that can attributed to their play in the midfield. Faravelli, Rivero, and Huescas all had strong games with their defensive play. Cruz Azul had the second-best defense during the regular season only giving up 14 goals in 17 matches.
Pumas could never get their star players Cesar Huerta and Rogelio Funes Mori going. Huerta had some moments where he was trying to attack and create shots but not much was there. Funes Mori was a non-factor all night and he eventually was subbed out. Pumas was undefeated at home all season long so this is a shocking performance. They were never in this game.
Cruz Azul will host Pumas on Sunday night in the second leg and is heavily favored to advance to the semifinal with this advantage. Pumas would have to win by three or more to advance, something that seems unlikely.
About the Author
Mike Nelson lives and breathes sports. Ever since he was very young he has also dreamed of covering sports. Mike graduated from CSULA in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. He has been very lucky to cover sports and be on the radio for the last few years with different organizations including a stint with the LA Galaxy where he was one of the announcers for the LA Galaxy 2 team for two seasons.
Mike loves music, he hosts his radio show/podcast “The Mike Nelson Show” where he has gotten to interview the biggest names in rock and metal including Les Claypool, David Ellefson, and others.
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