Last Updated on May 9, 2022 11:44 am by Erwin Noguera
The regular phase of the Liga MX Closing tournament 2022 has come to an end, and we already know the final position of each of the teams in the general classification. Pachuca remained in first place despite their defeat on the last date. For its part, America managed to get into the top four after having occupied the last place in the table for a couple of days in the first half of the tournament. Teams like: Chivas, Monterrey, Cruz Azul, and Pumas managed to stay in the playoff zone. On the other hand, the last position was occupied by Juárez.
Since the beginning of day 17 of the tournament, Pachuca had already ensured that he would finish in first place in the general classification, whatever happened. After Pachuca, we have Tigres with 33 points, being another of the very good teams in this local tournament, followed by Atlas with 27 points. The last top 4 inclusion was the surprising Club America with 26 points. America was at the bottom for almost the entire first half of the closing tournament, but the change in attitude and coach allowed them to have an excellent closing that allowed them to directly reach the Final Phase of this tournament.
Preview
The playoff zone has Puebla, Chivas, and Monterrey with the same 26 points as America, but with a worst goal difference. Puebla notably decreased their level of play and, from being practically in possession of 3rd place with 3 games to play, now they have to fight to get a victory that will give them a pass to the Liguilla. The eighth-place corresponds to Cruz Azul with 25 points. These will be the four teams that play the playoffs at home. Below them, we have Necaxa, Atlético de San Luis, Pumas and Mazatlán FC, who complete the top 12 list.
The repêchage returned to the Liga MX for the 2020 Apertura, in which the teams that finished between the fifth and twelfth position of the Regular Phase play all their options to enter the Liguilla in a direct elimination match with the best-ranked club having the advantage of playing at home.
It is important to note that in the event of a tie within 90 minutes of the match, the game will go to penalties. There are no extra times and neither the away goal nor the position in the table counts.
Liga MX Playoffs: Cruz Azul vs. Necaxa
When: Saturday, May 07 at 06:45 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Cruz Azul -120 / Necaxa +200 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +210
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports / TUDN / DAZN
The repêchage of this Liga MX Closing Tournament 2022 begins this weekend, and we will have a great game that will open the curtain in the best possible way. This Saturday, May 7, 2022, Cruz Azul receives Necaxa at the Azteca Stadium at 06:45 pm ET.
Cruz Azul faces this match with two sides of the coin, since their level of play throughout the season went from high to low, so much so that Cruz Azul could not get more than 1 win in their last 5 games disputed. In addition to this, we have that Cruz Azul is having a lot of difficulties scoring goals in their stadium, in which they accumulate 413 minutes without scoring.
On the other hand, since the arrival of Jaime Lozano to the Necaxa bench, the team has shown a completely different face in the tournament. This facet has not only been shown when they play at home but also when they do it on the road. Of the last three games played away from home, Necaxa got two wins for one loss. Also, in his two visits to Mexico City where they faced Pumas and Cruz Azul, in both games, they got three points.
Cruz Azul vs. Necaxa Betting Pick: Cruz Azul
Update
Cruz Azul, trained by the Peruvian Juan Reynoso, got a great victory this Saturday by 3-1 on penalties against Necaxa to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Liguilla.
The teams played an extremely even first half, in which Necaxa took control in the first few minutes, but Sebastián Jurado prevented them from getting ahead on the scoreboard. Jurado managed to stop a mid-range shot by Fernando Madrigal, at minute 6, and a header by Dieter Villalpando, at minute 18, to maintain the scoreless draw.
On the other hand, Cruz Azul grew and at minute 21, the Chilean Iván Morales had the clearest chance for Reynoso’s team with a powerful shot from the left that goalkeeper Luis Malagón sent to the corner kick.
The first few minutes of the second half were stuck in midfield until Cruz Azul scored their goal in the 56th minute. The Uruguayan Christian Tabó outwitted his markers from the left and crossed a ball into the area so that Escobar converted with his left foot the 1-0. Necaxa’s insistence turned into a goal in the 88th minute. Ángelo Araos took a corner kick from the right that Aguirre, with his head, scored 1-1.
The playoff match ended the regular time with a 1-1 draw. Therefore, they had to define the game on penalties. In this defining phase, goalkeeper Sebastián Jurado managed to stop two shots, while the Uruguayan Agustín Oliveros missed his shot so that Cruz Azul got their pass to the final phase of the Liguilla.
For Cruz Azul, the Paraguayan Ángel Romero, Adrián Aldrete and the Peruvian Luis Abram scored the penalties. The Chilean Ángelo Araos was the only one who could score for Necaxa.
Result: Cruz Azul (3) – (1) Necaxa (Penalties)
Liga MX Playoffs: Monterrey vs. Atlético San Luis
When: Saturday, May 07 at 09:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Monterrey -145 / Atlético San Luis +310 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +220
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports / TUDN / DAZN
Monterrey will receive Atlético San Luis at the BBVA Stadium, something that does not bring back good memories for the local team. Atlético San Luis was the last team that managed to get the victory at Monterrey’s home, which ended amid protests after the 2-0 that cost Coach Javier Aguirre continuity.
After failing in the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, Monterrey returned to the Liga MX and was greeted with two consecutive losses, first losing 1-0 to Puebla at the Cuauhtémoc Stadium and a week later they lost 2-0 at home to San Luis on matchday 7 of Clausura 2022. After Javier Aguirre’s dismissal, Monterrey managed to raise its head again and got the seventh place in the standings, tied in 26 points with America, but with a lower goal difference.
On the other hand, as we have already mentioned, Atlético San Luis knows what it means to win at the BBVA Stadium. Although at that time Monterrey was indeed going through a complicated situation, San Luis managed to play a great game that was full of many emotions. Atlético San Luis comes to this playoff after finishing in position #10 in the standings and, in their last game, they suffered a defeat against Santos Laguna, with a score of 1-3.
Monterrey vs. Atlético San Luis Betting Pick: Monterrey
Update
Rayados fell on penalties in the playoff match on an exceptional night by goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero, who stopped two shots to give Atlético San Luis the victory on penalties with a score of 3-1 after drawing 2-2 in the regulatory time.
Monterrey managed to score an agonizing goal in added time, just seconds before the end of the 90 minutes, but penalties were once again their main enemy, since the San Luis goalkeeper stopped the shots of Vincent Janssen and Maxi Meza, while Rodolfo Pizarro crashed the ball into the post to obtain the heavy defeat and their elimination from the closing tournament. On the San Luis side, the hero was the Argentine goalkeeper, but Germán Berterame, Ricardo Chávez and Javier Güémez also scored, while Facundo Waller also hit the post.
Monterrey managed to get ahead on the scoreboard thanks to Vincent Janssen’s goal in the first half, but after scoring the goal, Monterrey changed their game approach to a defensive one, which ended up costing them the loss in the match.
San Luis managed to react in the second half, at minute 46 Facundo Waller equalized, and at minute 53 John Murillo gave the visitors the advantage. There were 10 minutes of terror for Monterrey that was already thinking about the next tournament. But Rayados seemed to find the miracle with the goal in added time by Michel Rodríguez, but the dream ended up vanishing on penalties.
Result: Atlético San Luis (3) – (1) Monterrey (Penalties)
Liga MX Playoffs: Puebla vs. Mazatlan
When: Sunday, May 08 at 06:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Puebla -110 / Mazatlan +158 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +180
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports / TUDN / DAZN
A match that no one imagined would be repeated in just a week of difference, Puebla and Mazatlán will cross paths again after La Franja served Mazatlan as a takeoff platform to reach a quota in the national football playoff. Both teams will meet next weekend at the Cuauhtémoc Stadium in one of the playoff keys with a ticket to the Final Phase of the Liguilla as a prize.
The duel between Puebla and Mazatlan was confirmed after the 4-4 draw between León and Toluca at the end of the last day of Mexican soccer on Sunday.
Mazatlan was waiting for a real miracle to be able to access the playoffs of the Liguilla, but everything began to change since its excellent victory last Friday against Puebla, with a score of 2-1, then with the 2-0 victory of Pumas over Pachuca were much closer to the feat and confirmed their unexpected presence in the playoffs after the 4-4 draw between León and Toluca. Thus, they agreed to position #12 in the standings.
Puebla, meanwhile, agreed to the playoffs after losing to Mazatlan last Friday and after the tie at one between Atlas and Tigres. That result knocked La Franja out of the top four in the standings, after spending the entire tournament at the top. Puebla finished in fifth place, surpassed by America and Atlas, who had a spectacular end to the season.
Puebla vs. Mazatlan Betting Pick: Puebla
Update
Unexpectedly, Puebla suffered more than expected to eliminate Mazatlán in the playoff of the Clausura 2022 Tournament of Liga MX. Puebla managed to be more effective in the penalty shootout, and thus sealed their ticket for the final phase of the Liguilla and will go with everything to enter the top four in the championship.
The game could not have started in a better way for the favorites in this game, Puebla, since at 4 minutes Diego De Buen opened the scoring after a spectacular free-kick shot that ended in the back of the net and, just 10 minutes after, Juan Pablo Segovia, in a corner kick managed to connect with his head to make it 2-0. Everything indicated that it would be a win by Puebla, however little by little Mazatlán began to take possession of the ball and create scoring chances and, at minute 36, Brian Rubio reduced the score to 2-1, Mazatlán had several opportunities to even the score but, they did not count the effectiveness enough to achieve it.
Second Half
In the second half, Mazatlan continued to press trying to tie the actions, although little by little Puebla returned to show sparks of what was the beginning of the game. The minutes passed and the game was stalling, but, in the final stretch, Mazatlan went with everything and at minute 85 Martín Barragán, from Puebla, was sent off and when it seemed that the game would end, Mazatlán managed to have a shot from the corner at minute 90+1 which Vikonis headed, and a defender cleared the ball, but Néstor Vidrio finished off and the ball ended up in the back of the net, leveling the score 2-2 and sending the game to penalties.
Padilla missed the first penalty for Mazatlan, Mancuello scored it for Puebla. Mazatlan equalized on the second shot, but Puebla went back up 2-1. Then, both teams missed the third penalty and, the #4 for both, was a miss from Mazatlán and a score from Puebla that gave them the victory with a score of 3-1.
Result: Puebla (3) – (1) Mazatlan (Penalties)
Liga MX Playoffs: Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Pumas
When: Sunday, May 08 at 08:15 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Guadalajara -105 / Pumas +110 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +225
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports / TUDN / DAZN
This first phase of the playoffs is closed by the match that for many are the most equitable and, therefore, exciting. Guadalajara receives Pumas at the Akron Stadium, this Sunday, May 8, 2022.
One of the great teams with the largest fan base in the Mexican soccer league, Chivas de Guadalajara, arrives at this playoff trying to recover the level of play that their fans have been acclaiming for several years, where they have not managed to reap important victories and, in many opportunities were eliminated, even without playing the playoffs. This season is different since Guadalajara has shown an excellent level, and now it will try to reaffirm its good moment by getting into the Liguilla.
On the other hand, another of the very good teams in recent years, Pumas, arrives at this playoff after a very complicated regular season, where they had many problems certifying the passage to the repêchage, especially after losing the corresponding matches on days 15 and 16. However, they achieved an excellent victory against the leaders of the table on the last day, with a score of 2-0.
Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Pumas Betting Pick: Chivas de Guadalajara
Update
The Chivas de Guadalajara qualified for the final phase of the Liga MX Playoffs, after crushing Pumas at the Akron Stadium with an excellent score of 4-1 in the Repêchage match. In this game, Chivas came out to give their fans a real show on the team’s birthday, since this Sunday they celebrated 116 years of existence.
Cristian Calderón was the first to open the scoring for Chivas, after scoring in the 12th minute in a play that didn’t seem as dangerous but managed to hit the ball and beat the rival goalkeeper. However, Pumas, who arrived crestfallen after losing in the Concacaf Champions League final, quickly managed to tie the game, thanks to a goal by Diogo de Oliveira who found a long ball in the small area and defined with his left foot to beat the rival goalkeeper.
It wasn’t until the 50th minute that Alexis Vega made a great play and assisted Fernando Beltrán with his heel so that he defined with his left foot and scored a great goal. José Juan Macías took advantage in the 81st minute that Pumas was disconcerted by not being able to tie the game and, thanks to a long pass from Alexis Vega and a low pass from Pavel Pérez, Macías managed to enter without a mark and make it 3-1. Almost at the end of the game, specifically in the 89th minute, Alexis Vega closed the scoring and, in an exceptional play after taking advantage of a long pass from midfield and with an accurate shot from his right foot, he scored the final 4-1.
Result: Chivas (4) – (1) Pumas
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