We have reached the end of the intense matchday 4 of the Liga MX opening tournament, with very pleasant surprises for all Mexican soccer lovers, as we now have a tie for first place in the standings between 3 teams that, in theory, were not in anyone’s plans to be in this fight, Monterrey, Toluca, and Tigres UANL.
Another surprise is that Puebla and Pachuca seem to have lost their way and lost their winning streak, since, after two consecutive draws, both have dropped to fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Right now, the difference between a first and eighth place in the standings is only 3 points, so the next round could allow other teams to be leading the overall standings.
Liga MX Matchday 4: Tijuana vs. América
When: Saturday, July 23 at 10:05 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Tijuana +270 / América +103 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +250
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports / TUDN / DAZN
The first surprise we had on this matchday 4 was the victory of Tijuana over América with a score of 2-0. While it is true that Tijuana was playing at home, America was the favorite to win this match.
As much Mexican media have pointed out, America’s charm quickly wore off after their excellent game against Manchester City during the week, as they lost to what has been one of the worst teams in the league in recent years.
The match started with a good rhythm for both teams, but the turning point came in the 9th minute when Lisandro López scored the team’s first goal from the penalty spot.
Despite the goal, América was able to regain control of the match and generate goal opportunities, but they were unable to finish them in a good way. Las Aguilas had total possession of the ball in the first half, so we all expected them to equalize in the second half.
But it was quite the opposite, as in the 62nd minute, Joaquín Montesinos sealed the game for Tijuana with a great goal from outside the box after clearance by América.
After this result, Tijuana was able to recover a little and climbed to #13, while América dropped to #15
Result: Tijuana (2) – (0) América
Liga MX Matchday 4: Tigres UANL vs. Atlas
When: Saturday, July 23 at 08:50 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Tigres -106 / Atlas +300 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +250
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports
What looked like it was going to be a very even and entertaining match, ended up being a one-term affair, as, six minutes into the match, Atlas’ goalkeeper, Camilo Vargas, was sent off for a childish mistake.
Vargas came out to cut out a dangerous play by Tigres and, after making two saves with his foot, he used his hands outside the area to block a shot by Gignac, which led to him being shown a straight red card.
This put Tigres even more in control of the game and, after several attempts and a relentless attack, the first goal was scored at minute 40 after an own goal by Anderson Santamaría, who was trying to clear a ball inside the Atlas area.
Only 5 minutes passed after this own goal for Tigres to put the game to bed after a very nice play between Córdova and Gignac led to the Frenchman being able to put the final nail in the coffin easily entering the box and sending the ball into the back of the net.
After this result, Tigres climbed to first place in the table, while the current champions, Atlas, dropped to 14th place.
Result: Tigres UANL (2) – (0) Atlas
Liga MX Matchday 4: Pachuca vs. Pumas
When: Sunday, July 24 at 08:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Pachuca -123 / Pumas +350 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +260
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports
Another of the surprises in this matchday 4 was the draw between Pachuca and Pumas, which caused Pachuca to lose first place in the standings, while Pumas, with another draw on its record, remains in 7th place.
This was one of the most anticipated games of the day, with many goals predicted, and it ended up being a disappointing 0-0 draw.
Pachuca generated a lot of danger in the first half, but the lack of effectiveness of their forwards and great saves by Pumas’ goalkeeper, Julio Gonzalez, prevented them from transferring this good momentum to the scoreboard.
In the second half, Pachuca and Pumas switched to a more physically contested game, with many interruptions as a result of clashes in different areas of the field.
In the end, neither team was able to get on the scoreboard as a result of inaccuracies in the last touch, as well as certain defensive interventions that helped to prevent both goals from falling.
Result: Pachuca (0) – (0) Pumas
Liga MX Matchday 4: Puebla vs. Cruz Azul
When: Saturday, July 23 at 08:05 pm ET
Moneyline odds: Puebla +104 / Cruz Azul +270 (Source: MyBookie.ag)
Draw Offs: +245
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports
Finally, the most attractive match of the fourth day of the Liga MX opening tournament did not disappoint. Puebla and Cruz Azul played an authentic match that ended with a 2-2 draw, a rain of goals that undoubtedly delighted all the fans.
One of the stars of the match was undoubtedly the rookie Santiago Giménez, who scored both goals for Cruz Azul and, it seems that this is the last match he will play in Liga MX, to try his luck in European soccer.
The match did not start in the best way for Cruz Azul, as Puebla took a step forward just 3 minutes into the match with a great goal scored by Jordi Cortizo from outside the box.
Cruz Azul was not discouraged and, 20 minutes later, managed to equalize the score thanks to Giménez’s first goal from the penalty spot. La Maquina’s party continued and in the 26th minute, Giménez scored his second goal of the match to give his team a 2-1 lead.
Puebla reacted immediately and, in the 28th minute, equalized thanks to Martin Barragan’s goal.
Although the match was very entertaining, this draw was of no use to either team, Puebla lost first place in the table, while Cruz Azul still cannot find the formula that will lead them to victory.
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