10 Players to Look out for in Liga MX Torneo Clausura in 2015
The 2015 Clausura will bring interesting moves. For some players this means appearing in the Liga MX for the first time, for others will be a renewed opportunity to make an impact in the league.
During the transfer window, Guadalajara signed several youngsters, like Erick Torres, in hopes to leave the relegation zone behind and make the Liguilla for the first time since the 2012 Apertura.
Leon will try to put behind their shaky previous season with the help of newly appointed coach Juan Antonio Pizzi and Luis Montes' return.
America have invested in attacking force, with Dario Benedetto and Darwin Quintero's signings.
Some of the new names include Paraguay international Roque Santa Cruz, as well as Jefferson Cuero, who recently won the Colombian championship.
Let's take a look at 10 footballers to look out for next season.
10. Isaac Brizuela (Guadalajara)
1 of 10
Last season, Guadalajara bet for experienced players, such as Carlos Salcido, Omar Bravo and Fernando Arce, but the results weren't good at all.
The 2015 Clausura will be quite different for Chivas. They'll bring young promises to try and renew the club and salvage them from relegation.
Isaac Brizuela is one of those footballers. After four-and-a-half years wearing the Toluca jersey, El Conejito will try to make an impact with Guadalajara.
He is a fantastic midfielder, with speed and fine touch. Last season he created 24 goal opportunities and completed 80 percent of the passes he sent.
Brizuela will be a fantastic addition through the right flank.
9. Pablo Barrera (Monterrey)
2 of 10
After a short stint in Europe, Pablo Barrera joined Cruz Azul hoping to get back to his old self.
However he suffered a knee injury in 2013, which left him out of the 2013 Clausura tournament in September.
He finally started to pick up in the 2014 Apertura, proving he still has a fantastic touch, especially when it comes to long-distance shots.
Barrera had a 50 percent shot accuracy (five shots on target, five off target), plus 75 percent of pass completion, as well as eight goal opportunities, in 13 appearances.
This season he'll join Monterrey. The club has recently lost Humberto Suazo, a cornerstone in Rayados' attacking line.
Barrera's power through the flanks, thanks to his speed and stride, will allow the team to be more dynamic and vertical.
8. Gabriel Hauche (Tijuana)
3 of 10
Gabriel Hauche arrives in the Liga MX from Racing.
His skills took him all the way to Italy in 2013, but after a frustrating six-month stay with Chievo (he only played 11 minutes in the Serie A), Hauche returned to his old club.
Last season, the Argentine appeared 14 times in the local league, he scored five times and made three assists, as per ESPN FC.
As a natural forward, he will be Dario Benedetto's replacement. Hauche can play as a second striker too, taking advantage of his dribbling skills to unbalance the rivals and open spaces.
He has been capped five times for Argentina national team, although he has only played two times.
7. Jefferson Cuero (Morelia)
4 of 10
Morelia finished the 2014 Apertura at the bottom of the general table with 17 points, as the result of two wins, four draws and 11 defeats.
Monarcas only scored 16 goals and in return conceded 36. Their lack of power in the last third of the pitch was one of their main issues in the past tournament.
Jefferson Cuero's arrival should give them depth. The Colombian plays as a left or right forward with the same success.
He was instrumental in Independiente Santa Fe's journey to the final showdown of the Finalizacion 2014.
Throughout the season, Cuero put the ball away three times and made four assists, according to ESPN FC. His body built and dribbling skills are for sure what will help him excel in the Liga MX.
6. Luis Montes (Leon)
5 of 10
Luis Montes has joined Leon's offseason after an eight-month hiatus, according to Mexican website MedioTiempo (Spanish).
If everything goes as planned, Chapo will reappear this season with La Fiera hoping to regain his former level as quick as possible.
But it won't be easy. Not only Montes missed the whole 2014 Apertura, also his club is far from being what it used to be before he fractured his leg, as they missed the Liguilla and had their worst tournament since they were relegated in 2002.
If things were not complicated enough, Leon have a new manager too (Juan Antonio Pizzi).
Montes needs to prove he belongs if he wants to secure the starting position again.
5. Darwin Quintero (America)
6 of 10
America made some interesting changes for the upcoming season. One of those is Darwin Quintero's arrival.
The Colombian (naturalised Mexican) will have the chance to reunite with Oribe Peralta in the 2015 Clausura tournament. It will be the first time he'll play for a club other than Santos Laguna.
Quintero was Peralta's partner in the attacking zone between the 2010 Bicentenario tournament to the 2014 Clausura.
A natural right-winger, Quintero will be key in providing Las Aguilas with depth through the flanks. He will be responsible of creating opportunities for Dario Benedetto and Peralta, something he does brilliantly.
Las season he created 52 chances, including seven assists.
4. Walter Kannemann (Atlas)
7 of 10
Atlas left Facundo Erpen out for the 2015 Clausura, which pushed them to find a reliable defender. They found it in Walter Kannemann.
The Argentine is a flexible footballer who can play as a centre-back or as a left-back depending on the team's needs.
He arrives in Liga MX from San Lorenzo, just days after playing in the FIFA Club World Cup, where the team lost in the final match against Real Madrid.
Kannemann is great when it comes to keeping the ball and passing it to his teammates. His leadership skills are a valuable asset to organizing the back line.
His aerial game is also strong, which comes in handy in set pieces.
In his last season with San Lorenzo, he appeared 17 times in the local league, 16 of them as a starter.
3. Erick Torres (Guadalajara)
8 of 10
Erick Torres will go back to the Liga MX after spending one year in the MLS, but it won't be a permanent move, though.
The Mexico international made quite an impression in the American league, by turning into the all-time Mexican-born scorer, with 22 goals in 44 appearances.
After Chivas USA ceased to exist, Torres returned to Guadalajara to join his former team, but the deal won't last forever and he will go back to the United States as soon as the 2015 Clausura is over.
Houston Dynamo signed the Mexican as a designated player on December 23.
In the meantime, it will be very interesting to see how much Torres matured in his time abroad. Before he left, he barely played in the Liga MX. In his last tournament, the 2013 Clausura, he appeared four times, only in one of those as starter.
Also, Guadalajara are fighting to avoid relegation, last season they lost seven games, tied seven and won three; they put the ball away 13 times.
If Torres can keep up the momentum, he will be a superb addition to the club.
"Welcome to Houston, @erickestefano15! Can’t wait to see this in #ForeverOrange --> http://t.co/EjV4ZpCpxp #HolaCubo
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) December 24, 2014"
2. Roque Santa Cruz (Cruz Azul)
9 of 10
Mariano Pavone had been Cruz Azul's go-to man when it came to scoring, but the club decided to let him go.
Now, La Maquina have put all their chips on Paraguay international Roque Santa Cruz, who has played in some of the most competitive leagues of the world, including the Bundesliga, Premier League and La Liga.
The forward arrives in a team that has not won a single Liga MX title since the 1997 Verano tournament.
It will be a good challenge for Santa Cruz, who scored three times in 14 appearances with Malaga in the current Spanish tournament.
He also created 10 goal opportunities, 70 percent of them through the center of the pitch.
If Santa Cruz can connect with the midfield, which happens to be the club’s most inconsistent line, he will definitively make an impact with La Maquina.
1. Dario Benedetto (America)
10 of 10
Ever since Raul Jimenez left America for Atletico Madrid, Las Aguilas have been struggling to find a good partner for Oribe Peralta.
Last season El Hermoso managed to score nine times in 23 appearances, becoming the top Mexican scorer of the 2014 Apertura.
Although Peralta played every match of the season he never had the same attacking partner. Dario Benedetto's arrival will definitively turn America into one of the most feared offensives of the league.
The Argentine scored nine times in 17 appearances, different from Peralta, Tijuana didn't qualify for the Liguilla.
His speed and strength are two of his most valuable assets, as they help him leave the defenders behind easily.
The 2015 Clausura will be Benedetto's fourth season in the Liga MX and it should be his best yet.
All stats appear courtesy of Squawka, unless otherwise noted.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
