The semifinals for the Mexican Primera’s 2011 Clausura Liguilla tournament kick off on Thursday night, and they will not involve top seed UANL Tigres. Yes, the famous “super leader curse” has struck again, as the team that won the regular season in Mexico was knocked out of the Liguilla in the first round yet again. However, the four teams left are all bursting with quality, and we should see a couple of fantastic ties as Chivas de Guadalajara take on Pumas UNAM and Cruz Azul take on Monarcas Morelia.
Mexican Primera Division, 2011 Liguilla: Chivas Guadalajara Vs. Pumas UNAM, Cruz Azul Vs. Monarcas Morelia
Chivas Guadalajara vs. Pumas UNAM
Thursday, 8 pm ET
Chivas ‘upset’ the top seed in the first round, but everyone knew that the Goats were an especially strong No. 8 seed. Once again, Marco Fabian was the hero with a couple of goals in the tie. He’s been absolutely stunning for Chivas this year, and his ability to score goals from absolutely nowhere keeps Chivas in every single game. However, the strong Pumas defense isn’t likely to be as poor as they were in the first round against Monterrey, so Chivas might struggle to score from means other than Fabian’s bombs.
Cruz Azul Vs. Monarcas Morelia
Thursday, 10 pm ET
It wasn’t easy for Cruz Azul, but thanks to a brilliant performance by Christian ‘Chaco’ Gimenez in the first leg and a great defensive performance in the second leg, they were able to advance past Atlante. They should look better in this tie, as Gerardo Torrado is rumored to be fit, while Hugo Drougett is closer to coming back to the starting lineup, and could appear in the second leg. Meanwhile, Morelia were the beneficiaries of America’s poor defense and tired legs, as they put five goals on the Super Eagles over 180 minutes. Elias Hernandez is in stellar form, and he should be a handful for Cruz Azul’s questionable defense.
SB Nation will have coverage of both of tonight’s Liguilla semifinal matches. For coverage, which starts with lineups just before the first game at 8 pm ET, stay on this StoryStream. For more on Mexican football, check out FMF State Of Mind, SB Nation’s Mexican football blog.
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