Liguilla Preview: Saturday

By César García

Second Leg
Saturday, 29 of November
19:00  San Luis - Santos
21:00  Atlante - Tigres

San Luis - Santos
(Aggregate Score: 1-3)
The first leg of this series is in the past and the advantage is for the current champion, Santos, who took a big step towards the semifinals with a convincing 3-1 home victory over San Luis last weekend.

San Luis
It appears that the so-called Superlider "curse" has affected San Luis, since after 17 weeks of regular season dominance, they are now faced with only one option — to risk it all and win by a two goal difference.  Or else they say goodbye to the competition.

In the first leg, San Luis generated dangerous opportunities in brief spells of the encounter, but they lacked effectiveness in front of the goal and were simply outperformed by Santos on all zones of the pitch.

The defense must not let down their guard for the full 90 minutes and be cautious of any counterattacks, since the Laguneros have extremely dangerous players in the attack.  Up top the offense must not have a repeat performance from last weekend and they have to make the most of their opportunities.

The overall leader spot in classification, playing at home with their faithful, and consistency throughout the season obligate the Gladiadores to at least play for the parity in the aggregate score, and take advantage of their top table position to advance and continue with life in the finals.

Head coach Raúl Arias will not be on the bench due to a two-match suspension.

Santos Laguna
After an inconsistent regular season, the Guerreros finally delivered a performance worthy of comparison to last season’s championship team in the first match of the quarterfinals.

The side coached by Daniel Guzmán, benefit from a two-goal advantage in the aggregate-score and they must not fall in confidence on their visit to San Luis.

Santos count with important players on all lines, but they must demonstrate a solidity to not relinquish any space against a dangerously desperate San Luis side that can quickly make goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez a protagonist in the match.

The addition of Cuauhtémoc Blanco has only fortified an already talent-laden squad.  Together with Daniel "Hachita" Ludueña, both creative minds have created an association that caused important damage for their cause in the first leg encounter.

Also, goalscoarer Vicente Matías Vuoso, will be a factor and will want to make them pay on any counterattack opportunities, especially after San Luis insisted for his disqualification from the match.  This was as a result from a hard tackle by Vuoso on San Luis defender, Ignacio Torres, which resulted in his injury.

The Match
Superlider San Luis is faced with a problem they never faced all season, and without a doubt overcoming the first leg result will be a difficult test.  However, if they can manage a two goal lead their regular season dominance will be rewarded with a ticket to the semifinals.

The Guerreros want to demonstrate that they can still defend their title, and they count with a good advantage which is a big step towards their efforts.  Add to that the talent of their players and Liguilla experience of coach Daniel Guzmán, and their semifinal participation is almost a done deal.


Atlante - Tigres
(Aggregate Score: 1-1)
The first leg did not prove beneficial for the home side Tigres, who could not manage any advantage in the series from a 1-1 draw against Atlante.  The series comes to a close in Cancún where the Potros are virtually invincible.  

Atlante
The Potros took full advantage of the first commitment of the quarterfinal round, with an away draw at Tigres that further increased their advantage in the series and allows them to head into the decisive match with more tranquility.

Coach José Guadalupe Cruz has indicated that they will not play for the aggregate score parity by abandoning their offensive philosophy, because they face an opponent that at times severely complicated them in the first match.

They will go out from the first minute and look for the score and make use of their almost perfect home field advantage to advance to the semifinals.

The defense will have to make sure that they are focused at all times because their rivals know how to take advantage of any opportunity they are presented with.  But behind them they can always rely on captain goalkeeper Federico Vilar to deliver a positive performance.

Still, if Atlante’s talented midfield and attack deliver an inspired performance, they can further frustrate the aspirations of their opposition.

Tigres
Even if their speculation in first leg of the series proved fruitless, Tigres will continue to rely on their patience and order to make the most of any opportunity that will send them to the semifinals.

The coach of the regiomontanos, Manuel Lapuente, is a seasoned veteran of do-or-die encounters and has led Tigres to the honor of being the best team on the road during the regular season.  

Lapuente’s strict defensive-minded philosophy is apt for away matches, but in this definitive match simply defending and maintaining the zero in their own goal will not be enough.  

The participation of their captain and midfield stalwart, Antonio Sancho, is in doubt and they will surely miss the offensive opportunities that are generated from his great ball recovery.  

They require a focused performance from all lines in unity with the tactics of their boss, and most importantly capitalize any scoring opportunity they get.

Tigres will not play for a goal, but for the victory.

The Match
In the first leg, both coaches effectively managed to nullify each other with tactical decisions which created an encounter devoid of spectacle and scoring opportunities.

This time around the home and away records of both sides present the perfect scenario for another battle of tacticians, between two staunch managers devoted to their opposing philosophies.  

The Potros have the advantage of advancing with an aggregate score draw, but with their home record and offensive-mindedness, Atlante can give a football lesson if they manage to break down their opposition.

Tigres is the desperate team since they play their life in the competition and essentially need a victory to continue.  However, they were the best away side of the regular season with a strict defensive order and if they abide by Lapuente’s philosophy they may extend their positive form on the road into the semifinals.

-- César García covers México for Goal.com.