Mexican Soccer: Week 6 Recap in Mexico's Apertura

Welcome, fellow Bleachers, Mexican league fans and soccer readers, to the second installment of recapping Mexico's apertura! Basically, one third of the tournament is over with.

Another interesting round unfolded and I'm here to give you an insight into the games, the best goals of the round and the overall statistics at this point.

Let's begin!

Predictions

I previously predicted the outcome of every game played—and I got three out of eight matches correct! Usually there are nine games played per week, but we'll get to the terrifying topic of why only eight games were finalized later.

Results

This week's round opener belonged to Estudiantes Tecos and Pachuca.

Tecos def. Pachuca, 2-1. Pachuca was able to get their only lead in the game with a goal from Jaime Ayovi, who scored after a cross from Carlos Rodriguez. Tecos pretty much took over from there. In a corner kick from Rodrigo Ruiz, Pachuca's goalie, Miguel Calero's mistake cost him dearly, resulting in a goal from Jorge Zamogilny. Herculez Gomez then scored in the 90th minute, giving them the win. Five bookings were given, including Ayovi's red card.

Cruz Azul def. Tijuana, 2-1. A prediction in which I was correct, the Tijuana Xolos looked as if they didn't have clue what they were doing until they scored their first goal and shocked Cruz Azul. The goal came from Dayro Moreno. In the opening minutes of the second half, Cruz Azul scored with a header from Edixon Perea. "La Maquina Azul" finished them almost 20 minutes later with a powerful header from Emmanuel Villa, who was assisted by Javier Aquino. The game had four bookings, all from Cruz Azul, with an expulsion going for Villa.

Jaguares def. Queretaro, 2-1. Another 2-1 game, Jaguares took control with a rather funny own-goal from Christian Perez, who jumped at the wrong time. Luis Rey then scored, giving Jaguares a 2-0 lead. Finally, Queretaro tried to bounce back, but couldn't. Carlos Bueno scored. Only three bookings were given.

Guadalajara def. Monterrey, 2-1. Yet again, a 2-1 game and also a win for Guadalajara. Monterrey looked to be the better team, taking the lead with a goal from Cesar Delgado. Then an arguable penalty was given to Chivas from Guadalajara. Marco Fabian capitalized and tied the game for Chivas. Alberto Medina gave the lead and win to Chivas when he scored at the 78th minute.

Santos vs Morelia, TBD. This game was in the works until there was a gunshot heard from the stadium. The first half would have ended in five minutes, but the players ran for the locker rooms after hearing the gunshots. Though a scary situation for everyone, the analysts and commentators of the game praised the fans for their behavior. The match will still be played, but I'm not certain when.

Tigres def. San Luis, 1-0. (As I correctly predicted!) A heated game ended with a goal from Israel Jimenez. The bookings were the heated part of the match. There were seven bookings overall: three from Tigres and four from San Luis. First, Anibal Mattelan committed a ridiculous foul and was awarded a red card. Then, Alfredo Moreno complained about it, got booked, and as he was leaving to be subbed out, said something to the ref along the lines of, "Kiss my ass!" His second yellow card, no surprise, resulted in the red.

Puebla def. Pumas, 2-1. Puebla opened the game up with a nice goal from Alan Zamora off a free kick with a bad angle. Nine minutes later, DaMarcus Beasley scored a goal with an awesome header, giving Puebla a more demanding lead. Pumas scored in the second half with a goal from Javier Cortes off a far free kick. I doubted Puebla could do it, but they beat the No. 1 team in the league and proved a lot. Eight bookings were awarded, including a red card.

Toluca def. Atlante, 2-1. Atlante opened the game up with a bombed shot from Christian Bermudez, which you will see later. However, Toluca bounced back to win, with goals from Nestor Calderon and Isaac Brizuela. The game was calm and only had three yellow cards shown.

America def. Atlas, 5-2. Yes, 5-2 was the score. It was a great game that showed what America can do with the return of Angel Reyna. The game started off with Atlas scoring with a goal from Georgie Wilson at the 10th minute. Then Reyna answered back and tied the game. Vicente Sanchez scored in the second half. Christian Benitez then scored two more goals. Flavio Santos gave Atlas a second goal four minutes after Benitez's goal. It looked like the game was going to end with a 4-2, but then Benitez got his hat trick and added insult to injury. Only five yellow cards were awarded.

Before the Goals of the Week...

You'll notice the shots after a while, but the scene itself is scary. It's unfortunate something like this had to happen, during a game or not.

Goals of the Week

The top two are great and the rest aren't as good as last week's first three, but here they are.

No. 5 and No. 4, Both Free Kicks: One at an Angle, Another at a Long Distance

No.5 is the first play of the video, No. 4 is at the 2:38 mark.

The first goal is at a hard angle, but it was enough for to Zamora score.

No. 4 is a long ball that is a huge mistake on the defender's part. The final bounce slid in for Cortes to score.

No. 3: Awesome Cut Leads to Goal

Skip to 3:00.

The ball started on the other side of the field. With a switch of play, Danilinho passed to Jimenez; the ball took minor effect, collided with the post and went in. 

No. 2: Reyna Comes Back with a Bang!

First and only play in video.

Angel Reyna had not played a single minute until his first game against Atlas. He juked out two defenders until he sent a rainbow shot that went in. Great goal and way to come back, Reyna!

No. 1: Bermudez Bomb!

First goal of the video.

On a counterattack, Bermudez took a chance with a bombed shot. Lazy defense on Toluca's part led to the best goal of the week.

Top Goal Scorers and Assists

Goals Scored

1. Christain Benitez, America, five goals

2. Oribe Perlata, Santos Laguna, four goals

3. Dayro Moreno, Tijuana, four goals

4. Giancarlo Maldonado, Atlante, three goals

5. Christian Bermudez, Atlante, three goals

Assists Dished

1. Franco Arizala, Jaguares, two assists

2. Jose Sand, Tijuana, two assists

3. Alberto Medina, Guadalajara, two assists

4. Francisco Palencia, Pumas, two assists

5. Javier Cortes, Pumas, two assists

Overall

As much as it kills me to say it, Chivas currently rank No.1 and look great at the moment. Here is the list of the current rankings:

Chivas: five games played, 13 points

Pumas: six games played, 11 points

Cruz Azul: six games played, 11 points

Tigres: six games played, 10 points

Monterrey: six games played, nine points

Estudiantes Tecos: six games played, nine points

Toluca: six games played, nine points

America: five games played, eight points

Puebla: six games played, eight points

Santos: four games played, seven points

Pachuca: six games played, seven points

Queretaro: six games played, seven points

Jaguares: five games played, seven points

San Luis: four games played, six points

Tijuana: five games played, four points

Atlas: six games played, four points

Morelia: four games played, three points

Atlante: six games played, three points

What's Next?

Once we have reached the halfway point of the tournament, we'll know almost everything we need to before deciding the ultimate favorites of the tournament.

Will Benitez from America keep it up? Does Chivas have what it takes to stay on top? Will Atlante be last? Who will win between Santos and Morelia, and how much will it change the league's overall statistics?

We'll find out with the next addition of recapping Mexico's Apertura next week! Thanks for the read, as always.