Winners and Losers from Liga MX Week 10
Week 10 of the 2014 Apertura brought several surprises, like Morelia's first victory of the tournament and Pachuca's loss to UANL on home soil.
America are still atop the general table. Las Aguilas have been in command of the 2014 Apertura tournament for eight weeks in a row, and after this week's victory they hold a four-point advantage over Monterrey.
Rayados took advantage of playing at Estadio Tecnologico and defeated Atlas and are now one point ahead of Los Zorros in the general table.
Cruz Azul and Veracruz secured key victories, while Toluca failed to keep their winning streak alive.
Let's take a look at the winners and losers from Matchday 10.
Winner: Miguel Layun
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America buried Santos Laguna at Estadio Caliente with four goals from Miguel Layun's boots.
The left-back shined in Week 10 and proved he can be a very valuable asset when joining the attacking zone. His fine touch, with both feet, was instrumental in helping Las Aguilas trash Los Guerreros.
Layun's shot accuracy was 100 percent, with five shots on target, and he completed 87 percent of the passes he sent, as per Squawka.
He is now the top scorer of Las Aguilas, with six goals to his name in seven appearances.
Loser: Alejandro Palacios
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UNAM were close to securing their first win on home soil, but Alejandro Palacios denied his own side the achievement.
The goalkeeper couldn't keep the ball in his hands after a set piece from Julio Nava in the 88th minute, when the score favored the home team 2-1. Palacios put the ball inside his own goal, leaving Pumas with one point instead of three.
This result leaves UNAM in 10th place of the general table, with 12 points, and momentarily outside the qualification zone for the 2014 Apertura Liguilla.
"Alejandro Palacios comete este error y Chiapas empata a dos goles. http://t.co/J1MUHDerwK
— Deporte en la Red (@DeportetotalRed) September 28, 2014"
Winners: Cruz Azul
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Cruz Azul went back to the winner's circle, as they defeated Leon 1-0.
It was a special result because La Maquina kept their 13-year winning streak alive against La Fiera, when playing at the Estadio Azul. The last time they lost on home soil was in the 2001 Verano tournament.
Also, the match featured Mariano Pavone's first goal in the Liga MX since the 2014 Clausura quarterfinals, where Cruz Azul were defeated by Leon.
This took La Maquina from 14th place in the general table to 11th, one step closer to securing a ticket to their fifth successive Liguilla.
Losers: Tijuana
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Tijuana were showing signs of improvement since Daniel Guzman took over in Matchday 8, but this week they couldn't keep the momentum going against Veracruz.
Xolos tried hard to tie the game, which Tiburones Rojos had controlled since the first half with a goal from Daniel Villalva.
Tijuana even had one more man on the field after forward Cristian Martinez was sent off in the 68th minute; still, Xolos didn't take advantage of this situation.
This was their first loss since Week 2, when America overpowered them 2-1.
Winners: Morelia
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Morelia finally managed to grab three points in the 2014 Apertura, when they visited Universidad Guadalajara.
Monarcas took control early in the match with a goal from Carlos Guzman; the defender also scored in Week 9 against UNAM.
This victory is the reflection of the hard work that Jose Guadalupe Cruz has been doing. When he arrived, the squad was commanded by Angel David Comizzo and had a 0-2-5 record.
Morelia will face Pachuca in Matchday 11.
Losers: Atlas
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Before Week 10, Atlas sat second on the general table, just behind America. This was going to be a key matchday, because they were set to face Monterrey, the fourth team in the general table.
Los Zorros hadn't lost at Estadio Tecnologico since the 2011 Apertura, plus they came from a 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul at the Estadio Jalisco.
However, Rayados managed to break down their rival's defense easily with two identical plays created by the team's top scorer, Dorlan Pabon.
The Colombian assisted Lucas Silva twice, which was enough to grab their sixth victory of the 2014 Apertura and secure the second place of the tournament.
"Dorlan Pabon y Lucas Silva se la vuelven a aplicar al Atlas. Monterrey gana 2-0 https://t.co/szTaFLraGv
— Chutazos (@Chutazos) September 28, 2014"
Winners: UANL
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For the first time since 2011, UANL defeated Pachuca at Estadio Hidalgo.
Tigres started the game with few attacks but little by little took advantage of two things: Los Tuzos' lack of consistency and Edgar Gerardo Lugo's momentum.
Despite scoring the first goal of the match, Pachuca were messy and allowed UANL to turn things around with the help of Joffre David Guerron, Lugo and Juninho.
This is a breath of fresh air for Ricardo Ferretti, who hadn't claimed successive wins since the 2014 Clausura.
Losers: Guadalajara
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Things are just getting worse for Guadalajara as the tournament advances. Week 10 was further proof that Chivas are far from being the team they were when they won their last title (2006 Apertura).
Carlos Bustos hasn't found a style that suits his side, despite having very experienced players in all the lines. This is the case of Carlos Salcido, Fernando Arce and Aldo de Nigris.
The attacking zone is perhaps the most troublesome line. Against Puebla they had good opportunities to put the ball away, including a penalty kick, which goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota blocked.
The players' frustration was evident. Nestor Vidrio and Israel Castro were sent off in the second half.
Guadalajara sit 15th in the general and relegation tables.
"Así detuvo Cota el disparo de Ángel Reyna (51') https://t.co/66RpKxwOkr
— Solo Deporte (@SoloDeporteMX) September 28, 2014"
All stats appear courtesy of ESPN FC, unless otherwise noticed.
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