Winners and Losers from Liga MX Week 9
Week 9 of the 2014 Apertura tournament is on the books now and America is still atop the general table.
Las Aguilas went back to the winner's circle on home soil, and so did Leon, which was perhaps one of the most refreshing results of the matchday.
Ronaldinho's league debut was another pleasant event, especially since he scored in Queretaro's win over Guadalajara at Estadio Omnilife.
Lucas Lobos scored for Toluca for the first time since his arrival and it meant three valuable points for his team, which is now third in the general table on 17 points.
Atlas also won and sits second in the general table, proving once again they are a serious contender for the title.
Let's take a look at last week's winners and losers.
Losers: Santos Laguna
1 of 7
Santos Laguna hadn't lost since Matchday 4, when Queretaro stunned them on home soil.
This weekend, Tijuana defeated them 4-1 at Estadio Caliente. This was Los Guerreros' biggest loss of the 2014 Apertura, as well as their first one while playing on Xolos' ground.
This was Tijuana's best match of the tournament. All their lines worked together, something we hadn't seen since the 2014 Clausura.
Alfredo Moreno scored a brace, while Dario Benedetto put away his fourth goal of the season and Dayro Moreno notched his first since the 2011 Apertura.
Santos may have a powerful offense, but they need to work hard in the defense. The lack of concentration buried their chance to recover.
Winners: Queretaro
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Queretaro went back to winning ways, as they defeated Guadalajara 1-4 at Estadio Omnilife.
With the help of Ronaldinho, who opened the scoring with a penalty kick, Gallos Blancos took advantage of Chivas' lack of focus and forcefulness to secure their first victory since Matchday 4.
After 75 minutes, Queretaro was already winning 0-3, mainly due to the Brazilian's talent and vision—he had one assist and organized the attack—and the mistakes of Jose Antonio Rodriguez in goal.
Guadalajara are now 15th in the general table with a 2-3-3 record (one match pending).
Meanwhile, Gallos Blancos went from 8th to 6th.
Losers: UNAM
3 of 7
UNAM defeated Morelia 2-3 at Estadio Morelos. However, Pumas showed a lot of inconsistency, especially in the second half.
The away team was winning 0-3 after 55 minutes, but they couldn't keep up and Monarcas pushed hard, so hard they nearly tied the game.
Guillermo Vazquez has managed two victories and two draws in four matches, however he has a lot of work to do with his team, because Pumas have yet to convince that they have what it takes to win the tournament.
UNAM's unbeaten record under Vazquez's command is still deceiving.
Winners: America
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America hadn't won in the past three matchdays, and they even lost once on home soil to UNAM.
But Las Aguilas fought hard last weekend and defeated Pachuca 2-1 at the Estadio Azteca, thus securing their stay atop the general table with 20 points.
Their dynamic style and verticality have been the key to their success in the past year.
Antonio Mohamed's team seems to be back on track, especially after their 1-10 win over Costa Rican side Bayamon.
Next week America will face Santos at Estadio Corona.
Losers: Cruz Azul
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Cruz Azul are still on a terrible slump and it doesn't seem like it is going to end any time soon.
La Maquina lost 2-1 to Atlas at Estadio Jalisco, where they hadn't been defeated since the 2008 Clausura tournament.
The away team lacked creativity and depth, plus the back line struggled constantly. Not only Guillermo Allison, the second goalkeeper, cracked under pressure, also Francisco Rodriguez was slow and erratic and Gerardo Torrado couldn't contend his rivals in the midfield.
It is time for Luis Fernando Tena to regroup his squad and change his strategy, because even with Mariano Pavone's return, Cruz Azul was lost on the pitch.
Winners: Leon
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Gustavo Matosas needed almost a month to take Leon back to the winner's circle. Last weekend they defeated Veracruz 3-1 at Nou Camp.
Although the defense is still a bit shaky, it showed considerable improvements. Plus, the accuracy of the attacking line was superb.
Mauro Boselli commanded Los Panzas Verdes' offense. He put the ball away twice and it could have been a hat-trick if it hadn't been for a previously committed foul that annulled Boselli's goal.
Marcos Caicedo also scored for Leon, while Daniel Villalva did it for Veracruz.
Now coach Matosas has to find the way to keep the momentum going, as La Fiera don't have back-to-back wins this season.
Losers: Monterrey
7 of 7
Monterrey had the chance to surpass America in the general table, but they couldn't stop Toluca at Estadio Nemesio Diez.
Los Diablos Rojos haven't lost on their home soil for over a year, and a powerful shot from outside the box by Lucas Lobos was enough to kill Los Rayados' hopes.
Monterrey didn't seem like the team they usually are. They were erratic in the midfield and couldn't capitalize the few goal opportunities they got.
Instead, Toluca took over the ball possession and didn't let the away team put them in distress. Also, the defense was superb; it successfully neutralized Humberto Suazo and Dorlan Pabon.
All stats appear courtesy of ESPN FC, unless otherwise noticed.
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