Liga MX Table 2014: Updated Clausura Results and Standings Following Week 16

After this weekend, only one weekend will remain before the Clausura Liguilla.

Yet, the middle of the table remains just as jumbled as it was before. Heading into Matchday 16, only three points separate Pachuca in sixth and Atlante in 13th. Sixteenth-place Chiapas are only four points back of Pachuca.

The race for the top eight remains wide open.

One of the clubs to watch will be Chivas. They enter the weekend in ninth place, on the outside looking in because of goal differential.

Playing Pumas on the road on Sunday will be difficult, but Chivas will need a result if they have any hope of qualifying for the Liguilla.

Speaking ahead of the critical fixture, manager Ricardo La Volpe said that he's send his team out to attack as long as they demonstrate some defensive solidarity, per ESPN FC's Tom Marshall:

"

Against Pumas [on Sunday], we will play with a [defensive] line of five. When they demonstrate that we are solid, we will play with a back four and if we continue to do well, we will do it like Barcelona: 4-1-2-3 or 4-1-4-1 or however you want to call it.

I adapt to the team, how we play depends on them.

"

At 62 years old, this could be the last chance La Volpe has to manage a bigger side like Chivas. Guiding them to the top eight would be a great achievement given the club's volatility this season.

Here's a look at the table after Friday's action.

Pos.	Club	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts.
1	Cruz Azul	16	10	3	3	8	33
2	Toluca	16	10	1	5	11	31
3	Santos	16	6	6	4	4	24
4	America	16	7	3	6	4	24
5	Pumas	15	6	4	5	6	22
6	Morelia	16	5	6	5	3	21
7	Pachuca	16	6	3	7	1	21
8	Atlas	16	5	6	5	0	21
9	Tijuana	15	6	3	6	-1	21
10	Queretaro	16	6	3	7	-3	21
11	Guadalajara	15	5	6	4	-3	21
12	Leon	16	5	5	6	-5	20
13	Monterrey	16	5	5	6	-1	20
14	Chiapas	16	5	5	6	-3	20
15	Tigres	16	4	6	6	-5	18
16	Atlante	15	5	3	7	-8	18
17	Puebla	16	3	6	7	-7	15
18	Veracruz	16	3	6	7	-11	15

Home	Result	Away
Morelia	5-1	Cruz Azul
America	0-0	Queretaro
Santos	2-3	Chiapas
Monterrey	4-1	Veracruz
Pachuca	1-2	Puebla
Leon	3-0	Tigres
Atlas	1-0	Toluca
Pumas	-	Guadalajara
Atlante	-	Tijuana

Friday Recap

Morelia 5, Cruz Azul 1

Marco Ugarte

At this point in the season, you can forgive Cruz Azul for having a poor result on Friday night. They entered the weekend top of the table, and their place in the Liguilla is all but assured. A critical CONCACAF Champions League matchup with Toluca also looms, so manager Luis Fernando Tena had to worry about keeping his stars match fit.

Not only that, Cruz Azul were facing a Morelia side in desperate need of three points in order to jump back into the top eight.

So nobody should be too surprised by Morelia's 5-1 thrashing of the table-toppers.

Marshall pointed out that Tena rested almost all of his key players:

Austin Fido thought that the defeat was mostly irrelevant for Cruz Azul, with the exception of goalkeeper Guillermo Allison. Letting in five goals is never good, no matter the fact that your club has thrown up the white flag:

Aldo Ramirez opened the scoring for Morelia in the 17th minute. Nine minutes later, Hector Mancilla doubled the lead.

Achille Emana's goal in the 42nd minute gave Cruz Azul some positive momentum, but the good feelings lasted all of three minutes, after Mancilla scored from the penalty spot right before halftime.

Morelia added two insurance goals in the 76th and 87th minute, respectively, to put a bow on the victory.

It's a massive win for the club. The three points put Morelia into sixth, and the four-goal victory boosts their goal differential to three, which puts them ahead of Pachuca, Tijuana and Guadalajara, all of whom have 21 points.

The worst-case scenario for Cruz Azul after Saturday is that they fall to second. Third-place Santos are nine points back, so there's no chance of them supplanting Cruz Azul in the table.