Torneo Apertura 2009

It is hard to believe with the national team still playing in the Gold Cup, America in the preseason tourney in the US and Atlante about to start the preseason Peace Cup in Spain but tonight the Apertura 2009 season starts as the newly rebranded Estudiantes Tecos host Pachuca.

As always it is hard to predict what will hapen in the new seaosn but I do not think either Pachuca or Toluca will be as strong as they have been recently. Pachuca's change in coach will effect them and I also think they will miss Blas Perez off to play in the Middle East. Toluca will miss Paolo DaSilva the heart of their defense.

Tigres have reinforced themselves well but they often do that only to disappoint, same applies for neighbors Monterrey. Pumas have the same team which won the title but now the target will be on their back. I of course will be hoping for the eebst from Guadalajara and Paco Ramirez will have the whole preseaosn to work with the team. The same applies with Jesus Ramirez at America who unlike Chivas have spent big money on strengthening their team.

After the exciting way they ended the season and advancing to the semifinals both Puebla and Indios will be interesting teams to watch this season. Keep an eye out for Morelia who are due a good season.

But I think Atlante with Santiago Solari added to their roster will be a team to be careful of this season.

I know it's a preseason tourny, but Club America was lookin' pretty good in the World Football Challenge. They have made some awesome signings. I feel they are the team to beat in the MFL. My beloved Los Tuzos look to be in the mix, but I think the clubs from DF are stronger in the long run.

A tough loss today by Guadalajara against Toluca as Israel Lopez won the game with a 95th minute free kick goal. Final score 4-3 in favor ot Toluca. An exciting start to the season for a pair of teams missing a lot of players due to the Gold Cup or in Toluca's case with Cristante and Mancilla because of suspension.

What a dramatic win by Toluca but without DaSilva and the suspended Cristante, the normally tough Toluca defense did not look good against a young Chivas team.

A win for Guillermo Rivarola as Pachuca's new coach but the old Tuzos boss Enrique Meza lost at Cruz Azul. Might be a tough job rescuing the cementeros.

The week 2 schedule:

Pachuca - Querétaro
Jaguares - Toluca
Monterrey - Atlas
Chivas - Tigres
Pumas - Cruz Azul
Puebla - Estudiantes
América - Morelia
Santos - Indios
San Luis - Atlante

Queretaro whose debut last week was postponed by Atlante's participation in a preseason tourney in Europe, make their return to the first division playing tonight at Pachuca.

Chivas home to the rebuilt Tigres on Saturday and a big matchup between Pumas and Cruz Azul as the cementeros are coming off their 6-2 road win over Herediano in CONCACAF play.

I can't laugh too much abot Chivas losing 3-1 to Tigres because Monterrey put three past Atlas last night too. Humberto Suazo is one deadly striker. But as Martin noted in the Mexico national team discussion Tigres' Brazilian forward Itamar Batista destroyed Chivas' defense last night and especially victimized Aaron Galindo which is not good news for El Tri. That is 7 goals allowed by Chivas in 2 games this season and since taking over near the end of last tournament Guadalajara's coach Paco Ramirez has only won one game, his debut against America. With Jorge Vergara's impatience that is the kind of coaching record which will not keep you in a job for long!

Both Ramirez coaches, Paco at Chivas and Jesus at America have to worry about their coaching positions after this weekend's losses. Neither club is known for much patience although America, with so many new incorporations into the team should be more patient than Chivas who basically have the same squad which ended last season.

Cruz Azul followed up their 6-2 CONCACAF win in Costa Rica with a 3-0 win at Pumas yesterday. Been a pretty good week for them wouldn't you say? UNAM with their typical slow start to a new season, they've yet to score a goal in their opening two games!

Well Paco Ramirez is getting some help as Omar Bravo and Deportivo agreed to part ways and he's signing again with Chivas. The club can certainly use him and El Tri needs Omar Bravo to refind his scoring touch and confidence.

Omar Bravo was so desperately wnating out of Chivas just a year ago, now he returns with his tail between his legs after his failed venture in Europe. The problem as I see it now at Chivas is when healthy Javier Hernandez and Omar Arellano are Guadalajara's first choice forwards and are two of Mexico's brightest hopes in attack not named Carlos Vela or Giovani Dos Santos.

So America's Aquivaldo Mosquera initially received a 3 game suspension for pushing/punching Morelia's Mauricio Romeor in the face but on appeal it has been reduced to only 1 game because supposedly Romero initiated it all by pushing Mosquera as they were tussling for position on a free kick. A horrible ruling as Mosquera violently attacked Romero, the initial 3 game suspension was correct in my opinion.

If Romero initiated the contact as was claimed in reducing Mosquera's suspension then why was he not also suspended? I am with Dr. Z on this, the disciplinary committee screwed up in reducing Mosquera's ban. I saw the replays of the action, to me Romero did nothing wrong but Mosquera went right at his face with both hands.

One thing I do like what they are doing this season in Mexico is punishing diving. Pachuca's Christian Gimenez got a one game ban after the first week of play for diving and tricking the referee into awarding a penalty and this week Santos' Matias Vuoso will have to sit out a match as he too dove and fooled a ref into awarding a PK. Maybe these suspensions will help reduce the amount of diving but with the way Mexican refs award penalties it may not be enough to prevent such diving.

It should not surprise us too much that after 3 rounds it once again is Toluca and Pachuca with the best records in the league, a perfect 9 points from 3 games. Amazingly current champions Pumas not only are without any points after thsoe same 3 game sbut they still have not scored a single goal! Now I know Pumas under Tuca Ferreti are notorious slow starters but this is an incredibly poor start for them.

Pumas and Chiva slook for their first win sof the season while Toluca and Pachcua seek to remain unbeaten with this weekend schedule:

Jaguares - Estudiantes
Monterrey - Toluca
Chivas - Querétaro
San Luis - Pachuca
Pumas - Tigres
Puebla - Atlante
Morelia - Indios
América - Atlas
Santos - Cruz Azul

Puebla-Atlante may be the most interetsing matchup this round though. Jared Borgetti scored last weekend for Puebla and is showing he still can be a useful player at this level.

A wild weekend as both Toluca and Pachuca lost their unbeaten runs, Chivas won and Humberto Suazo, who else?m scored Monterrey's lone goal in their win over Toluca. Suazo is a real ace. Doesn't look like much of a player but he is deadly around the box.

Pumas did finally score a goal but still lost as their poor start to the season continues. Also losing too were Cruz Azul and Atlante a pair of clubs who were looking pretty good until this weekend. More evidence of how hard it is to predict the league winner in Mexico, probably the most balanced league anywhere.

Morelia's 5-0 win over Indios was probably the biggest surprise of the weekend. Miguel Sabah with 2 goals for Morelia showed his goal scoring form from El Tri can carry over to his club play.

With their big win and Toluca and Pachuca each losing, Morelia now have the best record in the league.

Hey Dr. Z you conveniently forgot to mention America's 2-1 win over Atlas. Nice game winner by Jean Beausejour, putting away a rebound of Angel Reyna's shot off the cross bar.