Mexican Primera 2011 Apertura, Week 14 Preview And Schedule: Super Clasico, Clasico Regiomontano Both Huge For Liguilla

Jornada 14 of the Mexican Primera’s 2011 Apertura is perhaps the biggest of the tournament, with two of the country’s biggest fixtures of any season taking place. Chivas Guadalajara and Club America contest the Super Clasico at Estadio Azteca on Sunday, while Monterrey and UANL Tigres contest the Clasico Regiomontano on Saturday night. They’re not the only great fixtures on the schedule, though, as a number of matches have serious Liguilla implications.

Saturday, 6:00 pm ET

TV: Azteca America

Jaguares and San Luis both had respectable results last week, netting themselves 1-1 draws against quality opposition. Jaguares probably feels they should have done a bit better against Atlante, but San Luis will be very satisfied about getting a result against Cruz Azul to keep themselves in a similar position.

Profe Cruz stuck with his 4-4-2 setup, sticking Jackson Martinez back into the starting lineup. It proved to be a good decision, as the Colombian international broke his scoring drought with a goal for Jaguares. Franco Arizala didn’t perform at his best, though, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a pairing of Martinez and Luis Gabriel Rey against San Luis. Their opponents also will play 4-4-2 and are likely to be light on changes. Both teams have average defenses, and a scoring draw seems a likely result.

Pick: 1-1 draw

Saturday, 8:00 pm ET

TV: Telemundo

Monterrey were champions of the 2010 Apertura, the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, and are regular fixtures in Liguilla, but it seems as if they’ve finally been undone by injuries and the number of fixtures they’ve had to play in the last couple of seasons. There are rumors abound that the wildly successful Victor Manuel Vucetich has lost his dressing room. The Rayados sit in eighth position, in real danger of missing out on Liguilla.

Tigres, meanwhile, are comfortably in fourth place. Though they were caught looking ahead last week as they were stunned by Monarcas Morelia in a loss, there’s no question that Tigres are among the best teams in Mexico. They finished top of the league in the last tournament before getting upset in Liguilla and defeated UNAM Pumas 4-1 just two matches ago. Unlike Vucetich, Ricardo Ferretti’s job security is not the least bit in question.

Monterrey collapsed spectacularly in a 3-0 loss to Club America last week, and this could be the beginning of the end of their psuedo-dynasty. Should they fall convincingly to their cross-town rivals, the Vucetich era could end, Humberto Suazo could depart, and the face of Mexican club football could change.

Pick: 2-1 Tigres

Saturday, 10:00 pm ET

TV: Telefutura

Tijuana are second from bottom and in last place in the relegation coefficients. However, thanks to the extremely tight nature of the Primera this season, they’re just five points out of a Liguilla place and just as many points away from getting themselves into a good position to stay up going into the Clausura. They managed a 3-2 win over Pachuca in what was possibly the game of the week in Jornada 13, and they’ll be gunning for more than just a decent performance against Atlante.

Los Potros have a talented side and made some very solid acquisitions during the last two seasons, but sit in 12th place thanks to a very disappointing start to their campaign. Osvaldo Martinez and Christian Bermudez are two of the best players in Mexico, but they’ve failed to get adequate help from their teammates this season. The center of Atlante’s midfield and their defense is not the greatest...and the same can be said about Tijuana.

Look for a wide-open game. If you’re not planning on going to bed, going out drinking or watching MLS on Saturday night, flip this one on.

Pick: 2-2 draw

Sunday, 5:00 pm ET

TV: Univision

It doesn’t matter where they sit in the table. Club America vs. Chivas Guadalajara is the biggest match in Mexican football every single tournament. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to pack into Estadio Azteca for the match, and it’s an important one. Unlike a few previous tournaments where the teams were non-factors in the title race and simply playing for pride, this is a huge game for both teams.

Chivas recently relieved manager Jose Luis Real of his duties, promoting reserve manager Fernando Quirante to manager of the first team. They played a smaller Clasico last week against Estudiantes Tecos and put on a show, winning 5-2. Marco Fabian had perhaps his best performance since the summer friendly against Barcelona, while Erick Torres started in place of the injured Omar Arellano and Patricio Araujo was returned to the starting XI.

America also had a massive result, obliterating Monterrey 3-0 on the road. The Rayados were embarrassing on the night and the Super Aguilas could have easily scored six or seven had their finishing been better. They now sit just three points outside of a Liguilla spot. A win over Chivas could make them title contenders again, while simultaneously casting a huge shadow of doubt over their rivals.

This, like many other derbies, can often be cagey and conservative. With so much on the line for both teams, it wouldn’t be shocking to see this happen again.

Pick: 1-1 draw

Other matches

Queretaro vs. Cruz Azul - Saturday, 6:00 pm ET

Estudiantes Tecos vs. Santos - Saturday, 6:00 pm ET

Pachuca vs. UNAM Pumas - Saturday, 8:00 pm ET

Atlas vs. Monarcas Morelia - 9:45 pm ET

Toluca vs. Puebla - 1:00 pm ET