|
|
Bicentenario 2010 Preview: Group Two Will Produce Another Champ
Monterrey emerged from the toughest group in the Apertura 2009 season to lay claim to the league title, and history will repeat itself. No, los Rayados won't walk away with the title but rather another Group 2 club, says Goal.com's Sylvestre Adame.
Jan 14, 2010 3:48:18 PM
Once again group two looks to be the strongest group in the Mexican league. Four out of last seasons eight Liguilla teams came from group 4. Last seasons Group 2 made all other groups look insignificant. Group 2 has a good core of clever defensive teams which gave up very few goals. The favorites to come out are Morelia and Monterrey but with the quality of teams Puebla and America will also go on to the Liguilla.
The champion will surely emerge from Group 2 once more. It will be the toughest group to get out of and probably the most exciting to watch in the Bicentenario.
JAGUARES
Apertura 2009: 5-8-4, 13th in overall table, did not make the Liguilla
Key newcomers: Diego Ordaz, Jackson Martinez, Luis Fernando Mosquera
Key losses: Oribe Peralta, Adolfo Bautista
Update: Jaguares continue to be a middle of the table team. Their signings during the offseason were not of the glamorous type but were rather made to replace those who have left. Jackson Martinez will be hoping to add some numbers in the scoring category while the Jaguares do seem to posses a pretty decent defense.
Outlook: Don’t expect Jaguares to do anything out of the ordinary. They have gained good players during the offseason but also lost key pieces. The Liguilla is out of the question for Jaguares not only because of the type of team they have but also because of their group competition.
MONTERREY
Apertura 2009: 9-5-3, 5th in overall table, 2009 Apertura Champions
Key newcomers: Sergio Perez, Nery Cardozo,
Key losses: Humberto Suazo, Felipe Baloy, Diego Martinez
Update: Some of us (me) are still trying to accept the fact that Monterrey are champions. Monterrey looked to be doomed in the first round of the Liguilla when they faced America and especially after the big loss of Aldo de Nigris’ brother, Antonio. Monterrey came through in the toughest of times and took it all. Monterrey however, dealt key pieces of the puzzle away during the offseason which will impede them from repeating. Monterrey are headed over to South America after beating America in the Interliga
Outlook: Monterrey let two of their best players go during the offseason. Humberto Suazo and Felipe Baloy were the heads of the attack and defense. Humberto Suazo's stride will not be matched by any new signing not even the potential Giancarlo Maldonado. The physical presence of a Felipe Baloy is something hard to come by. With the South American tournament going on a Liguilla berth looks possible but another championship doesn’t.
PACHUCA
Apertura 2009: 7-7-3, 8th in overall table, did not make Liguilla
Key newcomers: Dario Cvitanich
Key losses: Christian Gimenez, Gabriel Caballero
Update: The loss of Christian Gimenez was a huge one for Pachuca. Los Tuzos signed another Argentine to take his place. Dario Cvitanich was signed on a loan from Ajax. He was thought to be the successor to Klaas -Jan Huntelaar and if he is then Pachuca made an excellent signing.
Outlook: It’s basically over for Pachuca. Not even the great Huntelaar…I mean Cvitanich can save them now. It’s a law, what ever goes up must eventually come back down. No Liguilla again for Pachuca and expect a change in manager sooner rather than later.
PUEBLA
Apertura 2009: 6-3-8, 7th in overall table, knocked out in first round of Liguilla
Key newcomers: Alvaro Gonzalez, HerculeZ Gomez
Key losses: Sergio Perez, Jared Borgetti
Update: Puebla has only gotten better with every season that has passed. Los Camoteros are leaving their relegation worries behind and are now more focused in the championship. La Franja fell short of representing Mexico in the Libertados. Puebla lost Sergio Perez during the off season but Jose Luis Sanchez Sola has filled that void already.
Outlook: Puebla went on a long unbeaten streak in last seasons Apertura, but could not capitalize as they drew 8 times. The ongoing problems in the front office could lead to problems but Puebla will once again make it to the Liguilla. Puebla will eventually go on to win the Bicentenario.
MORELIA
Apertura 2009: 10-4-3, 3rd in overall table, knocked out in Liguilla semi finals
Key newcomers: Gabriel Preyra, Jared Borgetti
Key losses: Luis Alonso Sandoval, Wilson Tiago
Update: Morelia lost a key midfielder during the offseason but gained good talent up top. Morelia was one of the best offensive minded teams in the league and they only improved on that during the offseason.
Outlook: Morelia has a team that could do some serious damage this season. The team has only improved and has kept a lot of their key pieces. Expect Morelia to be in the top three spots during the season. Morelia makes it to the final but loses it.
AMERICA
Apertura 2009: 8-3-6, 4th overall in table; Knocked out in first round of Liguilla
Key newcomers: Luis Alonso Sandoval, Miguel Layun.
Key losses: Andres Chitiva, Ricardo Rojas.
Update: Las Aguilas did not do their customary big spending during the off season. Las Aguilas instead will try and win it all with the same core 11 that we saw last season. Continuity was something America was lacking but they seem to have fixed that, at least for now. America failed to make into South America after losing the Interliga final to Monterrey.
Outlook: America will once again be one of the top teams in the league. With the Copa Libertadores out of the question America will be putting all their eggs in the Bicentenario basket. However, being that it is a World Cup year las Aguilas might fall short on talent during the season which will lead to defeats. America will once more make the Liguilla but will fall well short again.
Sylvestre Adame covers Mexican football for Goal.com.
For more coverage of the Bicentenario 2010 season visit Goal.com's Mexico page.
Inside Goal.Com
-
EURO 2012: Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi and Van Persie named in Goal.com's dream team XI
Goal.com put together its dream team for this summer's European Championship in Poland and Ukraine
-
RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai
Nicolas Anelka went against the grain when he moved to Shanghai. Now he's finding that coaching and gelling tactically is like swimming against the tide.
-
ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams
Chievo is currently shopping the American midfielder and several Italian clubs have shown interest.
-
ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite
Neymar was brilliant as Brazil easily handled the United States with early World Cup preparations officially underway.
-
LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth
With World Cup qualifying to begin in June, Mexico is using three U.S.-hosted friendlies to build squad depth.