Ranking 20 Players Who Will Have Most Impact in the New Liga MX Season
The Liga MX 2014 Apertura tournament is about to start, and every single player is ready to make a good impression, especially after some surprising transfers during the 2014 draft.
Oribe Peralta left Santos Laguna, while Antonio "Sinha" Naelson decided to part ways with Toluca. Meanwhile, Cuauhtemoc Blanco will make his comeback in the First Division.
This tournament will be full of youngsters, especially in teams like Pachuca and UNAM.
Let's take a look at the 20 footballers who will have most impact.
20. Aldo Leao Ramirez (Atlas)
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The Colombia international will make his debut with Atlas this season after spending 12 tournaments with Morelia.
Aldo Leao Ramirez is a very skillful midfielder. He can join the attack easily thanks to his speed and fine touch.
He knows how to keep the ball and distribute it to create goal opportunities for his teammates.
Atlas is seeking to leave behind the relegation zone, and Ramirez will be instrumental in achieving the feat.
19. Carlos Ochoa (Veracruz)
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Carlos Ochoa is ready to debut with Veracruz after playing two tournaments for Chiapas.
He is a veteran striker with enough experience to help Veracruz in their quest to leave behind relegation; they sit penultimate on the table.
Ochoa scored five goals during the 2014 Clausura. He is fast and works great in tight spaces, which gives him an advantage over the defenders.
This could be one of his last seasons, as he is 36 years old.
18. Carlos Darwin Quintero (Santos Laguna)
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Oribe Peralta left Santos Laguna, which means that Darwin Quintero needs to step up and take over Los Guerreros' attacking zone.
The Colombian winger has been playing for the club since he arrived in Mexico in 2009. Over the years, he had a great partnership with Peralta, but now he must move on and prove what he is made of.
Quintero will have the support of Javier Orozco and Javier Renteria, but he needs to become the leader in the last third of the pitch. Last tournament he scored seven goals, just one shy from Peralta's record.
17. Carlos Pena (Leon)
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Ever since Leon was a team of the promotion league, Carlos Pena has been one of their best players.
El Gullit is a fantastic playmaker. He can take over in any part of the midfield, becoming a fantastic link between lines.
His accuracy and fine touch have set him as a lethal footballer, as he can score easily or assist his teammates in style.
Now that Luis Montes will be out for the whole 2014 Apertura, due to a leg injury, Pena needs to be sharper than ever.
16. Alfredo Talavera (Toluca)
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Alfredo Talavera may have stayed on the bench at the 2014 World Cup, but he is certainly a key player for his club.
The Toluca footballer was the best goalkeeper during the 2014 Clausura. Between the regular season and the Liguilla, he received 15 goals, an average of less than one per game.
His reflexes and dives are fantastic, but it is his aerial game that amazes the most.
Talavera needs to keep his form for the upcoming tournament to match his club's powerful attack.
15. Antonio "Sinha" Naelson (Queretaro)
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After 30 tournaments and 61 goals with Toluca, Antonio Naelson will start a new adventure with Queretaro.
Gallos Blancos have yet to make a real impact in the Liga MX, and Sinha's arrival is the club's best bet to accomplish the feat.
His experience will help raise the bar among his teammates, plus he will surely become the commander of the midfield and the leader on the pitch.
We cannot leave aside his fine touch and intelligence.
14. Hiram Mier (Monterrey)
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Hiram Mier missed the 2014 Clausura due to a knee injury. However, he is ready to make his comeback and prove that he is atop.
The Monterrey defender can play in the center of the box or in the right flank, from where he can join the attack thanks to his speed and fine touch.
Mier is a strong player whose tight defending style has put him among the most promising footballers, especially for the national team.
He will be a thriving force for Los Rayados during the 2014 Apertura, especially after the club received 21 goals last season.
13. Angel Reyna (Guadalajara)
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Angel Reyna spent two seasons with Veracruz, but he only scored eight goals.
Reyna had been a game-changer for America and Monterrey, but his performance wasn't the same when he arrived in Pachuca, once with Veracruz he was sidelined due to illness, as confirmed by the club.
Guadalajara signed him during the 2014 draft with the hope that he can go back to his old self and help Chivas leave the relegation zone.
Reyna surely knows how to make a difference on the pitch. He can finish a play or create goal opportunities easily.
12. William Yarbrough (Leon)
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William Yarbrough may not be famous, but he certainly knows how to do his job.
He became the starting goalkeeper two seasons ago at the end of the 2013 Clausura, and coach Gustavo Matosas wasn't wrong when he picked him.
During the 2013 Apertura, Yarbrough conceded 21 goals and helped his team secure their first league title since the 1991/92 campaign.
He repeated the superb performance six months later at the 2014 Clausura, and the result was another Liga MX championship.
Yarbrough has proved that being young is not an impediment to succeed.
11. Isaac Brizuela (Toluca)
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Isaac Brizuela is one of the youngsters that has proven to be on track to becoming the next big thing.
He is fast, elusive and creative; all these assets put him among the most skillful and promising players of the Liga MX.
He left for Atlas during the 2013 Clausura in order to get more playing time. After one season, he returned to the Diablos Rojos and has become a regular starter ever since.
The Toluca midfielder has already made his debut with the national team, and although he didn't play at the 2014 World Cup, he will surely get his chance, as he is only 23 years old.
10. Jurgen Damm (Pachuca)
11 of 20Jurgen Damm is one of the most valuable youngsters currently playing for Pachuca. He is a 21-year-old winger who can leave behind any defender at ease.
Damm debuted in the 2012 Clausura, but he didn't appear with the senior team in the following season. However, he worked hard and returned a year later.
He has compensated his lack of experience with fantastic dribbling skills and accurate shots. During the 2014 Clausura, he scored two goals in 17 matches.
His performances caught the attention of Premier league heavyweights Chelsea, according to The Daily Mail's Simon Jones.
9. Marco Fabian (Cruz Azul)
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Marco Fabian arrived in Cruz Azul six months ago in a one-year long deal after leaving Chivas due to his low performance.
However, Fabian proved his commitment with La Maquina and scored seven goals in 15 appearances. For the first time in years, he played at his best and made a real difference on the pitch.
He was the third-best Mexican scorer in the 2014 Clausura, behind Oribe Peralta and Raul Jimenez.
Fabian is close to becoming a full-time Cruz Azul footballer. Guillermo Alvarez, the club president, told reporters in a press conference that La Maquina will start the acquisition process as soon as possible.
8. Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Puebla)
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Cuauhtemoc Blanco is ready to reappear in the Liga MX after almost six years.
The last time El Cuau played in the First Division was in 2008, when he was part of Santos Laguna. After that, he played for several Ascenso MX clubs, such as Veracruz, Irapuato, Dorados de Sinaloa and Lobos BUAP.
Despite being a 41-year-old, Blanco continues to be one of the best playmakers in Mexican football. He proved it in his farewell with El Tri, where he didn't run much but created goal opportunities thanks to his intelligence and accuracy.
The 2014 Apertura will surely mark Blanco's last tournament.
7. Jose Juan Vazquez (Leon)
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Jose Juan Vazquez had already been one of the players to follow in the Liga MX in the past couple of seasons, but during Brazil 2014, he showed the world what he is truly capable of.
Vazquez has become one of the best midfielders in Mexican football thanks to his defensive skills, which include recovering balls on a regular basis and the ability to join the attack by feeding balls to the wingers and forwards.
El Gallito's career has just begun. His fierceness and endurance will continue to be key components of his performance with Leon.
6. Raul Jimenez (America)
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In the past three seasons Raul Jimenez has been one of the most prolific Mexican strikers. The 23-year-old has scored 26 goals in 58 appearances.
Jimenez bagged his first hat-trick with Club America during the 2014 Clausura Liguilla—when he helped his side to defeat Santos Laguna in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
His sharp aerial game and accuracy inside the box have set him as one of the most important men of Las Aguilas.
Jimenez has also been instrumental with El Tri, especially at the 2013 Hexagonal.
5. Rafael Marquez (Leon)
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Rafael Marquez's experience has been fundamental in Leon's success. The 35-year-old centre-back wears the team's armband for his leadership and experience.
One of the most important reasons why he is playing atop again is that he worked hard to get back in shape. He is strong, and his time abroad surely shows whenever he is on the pitch.
Before retiring, Marquez will probably play his last couple of tournaments with Leon, and we can expect superb performances along the way.
4. Rodolfo Pizarro (Pachuca)
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Last season, Pachuca boss Enrique Meza went back to basics and gave his trust to the youngsters on the team. His decision was key for the team.
Rodolfo Pizarro became one of the stalwarts of Los Tuzos in the past tournament. He is a flexible player who, despite being a natural right-back, can also help in the attacking zone thanks to his agility and pace.
Pizarro will continue to be a changing force during the 2014 Apertura. Not only he has already played a Liga MX final, he is more experienced and has a lot of hunger.
3. Alan Pulido (UANL)
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Alan Pulido proved his worth last season with UANL. The Mexican forward became a key piece in Ricardo Ferretti's lineup.
Pulido had been working hard toward excellence, and it seems he finally found the way to fulfill the expectations.
His performances for Mexico's under-20 and U23 squads were superb, and he needed to make them match the one he was having with his club.
Last season, Pulido was an undisputed starter and scored five times. During the 2014 Apertura, he will be atop because he knows Lucas Lobos is no longer with Tigres.
2. Oribe Peralta (America)
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The Mexican striker left Santos Laguna just days before the World Cup.
According to Mexican newspaper El Universal, America paid $2.5 million for El Hermoso, making it the most expensive transfer of the Liga MX history.
Peralta only scored once in Brazil, but he has proven to be one of the most lethal strikers, plus he knows how to create opportunities for his teammates.
If Peralta manages to make a good partnership with Raul Jimenez, he will be unstoppable.
1. Lucas Lobos (Toluca)
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Lucas Lobos arrives in Toluca after playing with UANL since the 2008 Clausura.
The attacking midfielder was one of the most important men on the team, but ultimately, Jose Saturnino Cardozo managed to snatch him from Tigres.
Now, Lobos will give Toluca a new face in the midfield. He is fast, creative and a fantastic finisher. Los Diablos Rojos may not have Sinha anymore, but their bet on Lobos will be epic.
This is the kind of partnership that will keep flourishing through the years.
All statistics appear courtesy of MedioTiempo.com, unless otherwise noted.
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