RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Apertura 2009 Preview: Pumas UNAM
Pumas will try to do what only one Mexican club has been able to accomplish and win consecutive short-season titles.
Jul 24, 2009 10:50:10 AM
Back to Basics
For many years Pumas was regarded as Mexico’s breeding grounds for future stars having churned out the likes of Hugo Sanchez, Claudio Suarez, Alberto Garcia Aspe and Jorge Campos amongst others. In recent years the club’s youth academy seemed to have been all but forgotten. That was until last season when the club’s directives decided to stop spending on acquisitions and started focusing once again on their own players. The gamble paid off and Pumas ran away with the Clausura 2009 championship.
With Pumas going back to their old ways, concentrating more on player development, having Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti at the helm has become an essential component in the clubs success. According to the Brazilian he is not the typical manager but a trainer that works with players; making him the perfect fit for Pumas ideology. “I do not consider myself a technical director, I consider myself a trainer, even if they seem the same they are not. A trainer dedicates himself to specific details, individual improvement, and the technical director dedicates more time to tactics. I am below that and do not consider myself a technical director, unlike senor Meza, La Volpe, and Aguirre, I am below that,” explained Ferretti.
Bleak Outlook
If pre-season results are any indication of what to expect from Pumas in the Apertura 2009 tourney then the defending champions seem to be headed for a rough-start. “There is no time for worrying; we have always taken care of these situations that are not the most favorable for the team. We are aware that the few training time we have had we tried to do it with the most quality as possible,” admitted Francisco Palencia after Pumas scoreless draw against Jaguares. The match signaled the second game in which Pumas failed to score a goal and their third straight winless match having lost to Puebla (4-0) and group rivals Atlante (3-1). Still, the veteran striker feels that Pumas has what it takes to rise to the top. “The team has a winning mentality and will take advantage of this week to reach the season opener in the best shape possible. We are conscious that we are not in our best moment but there is much illusion, determination, and attitude to reach the first game of the season in the best shape possible”.
Promising Future
Pablo Barrera is Pumas latest prodigy having been with the club since he was 12 years of age; the young striker has already etched his own history with the club. After overcoming a ruptured cruciate ligament injury that sidelined him for six months Barrera returned in the Clausura 2009 season and played a key role in Pumas championship win. Barrera’s goal, in the second-half of overtime, allowed Pumas to defeat Pachuca and win their sixth league title. Barrera is currently with the Mexican national team, competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and has already scored what can only be described as a world class goal. Indeed, Barrera’s first time volley, off a Giovani Dos Santos corner kick cross, to seal Mexico’s four-nil win over Haiti can only be a glimpse of what the Pumas upstart has in store for the future.
Uphill Battle
Pumas championship defense will begin with a grueling three game schedule that begins at the famed Jalisco stadium as the Universitarios open the season against a hungry Rojinegros de Atlas. Pumas then host group and cross-town rivals Cruz Azul before heading out to the Devil’s Cauldron to take on Toluca. A though start to the season as Pumas will be tested at every turn. Atlas, with the technical director Ricardo Lavolpe at the helm, plays the type of fast paced game that can expose Pumas pre-season slump. Cruz Azul, also helmed by another technical director in Enrique Meza, have invested heavily and reinforced their squad at every spot. The Cementeros will be looking to avenge their 3-2 Clausura defeat and now have the squad to accomplish just that. Toluca, one of the favorites to win the Apertura championship, already defeated Pumas last season and will be a tougher opponent in their own home.
Final Outcome
Despite a rocky start to the season Pumas has what it takes to outlast their Group 3 opponents which seem to lack the solid foundation that has brought recent success to the Universitarios. Tigres first concern will be to avoid being relegated. The squad was a disaster last season and their first priority will be to avoid the drop. Atlante, despite winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup, finished the Clausura tourney with a minus three goal differential and they currently seem too distracted with the FIFA Club’s World Cup to have fixed their problems. Santos Laguna failed to reach the playoffs last season and on top of that lost their coach to Tigres and sold off their leading striker Christian Benitez to Birmingham City. None of their replacements seem to be upgrades. Estudiantes, formerly known as Tecos UAG, have gone through a transformation of not only name and kit but administration. It is still uncertain whether the clubs new direction will prove beneficial. That leaves Cruz Azul the “Cement Mixers” should be Pumas direct challengers to lead the group. Overall, Pumas experience and continuity should be enough to take them to the playoffs where the club’s lack of depth will be exposed. A first round Liguilla exit should serve as a farewell to Pumas old guard.
Joel Aceves, Goal.com
Visit Goal.com daily for more coverage of the Mexican National Team.
Want more from Goal.com delivered right to your door? Introducing "Goal.com Magazine." Subscribe now!
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
1 Comments
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
ROSANO: Mexican soccer needs to address referee treatment
Nick Rosano argues that Mexico's continued officiating problems may have less to do with referees themselves and more to do with how they are treated by the federation.
-
VERTELNEY: MLS owners take to Twitter to spread their team's word
"Any time you tweet, it's a mini press conference," says Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson.
-
ISOLA: Roma's De Rossi smart to remain with one club for career
De Rossi has a chance to build a lasting legacy at Roma similar to NBA veterans Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant, who have never switched teams.
-
EVANS: Five England players who could be captain at Euro 2012
The Three Lions' armband is on the move again...
-
RANKINGS: Torres breaks into the top 10 as Altidore drops out
The Pachuca midfielder is back on form, and with many of the USA's top players struggling, he breaks into the top 10.
Advertisement
Advertisement
