Monterrey Vs. UANL Tigres: 0-0 Halftime, Deadlocked Clasico Regiomontano

There’s been plenty of action in the Clasico Regiomontano between Monterrey and UANL Tigres, but no scoring after 45 minutes in Monterrey. The great northern derby has been intense as expected, but the combination of intensity and possible butterflies has created a different game than Monterrey and Tigres usually play against other teams. Usually, both teams play very stylish football with a cutthroat mentality, but this one has been a lot more about banging bodies than beautiful football, and both teams’ butterflies have certainly affected the finishing ability of the two teams.

The best example of that has been Tigres striker Hector Mancilla. Usually a very composed finisher, Mancilla has tossed away a couple of great chances early. Meanwhile, Danilinho and Lucas Lobos haven’t been allowed to make their regular impact on the game. It’s been a lot about the defenses and defensive midfielders, and those players are having a significant impact on the game.

For the American readers wondering, United States international Jonathan Bornstein was left on the bench to start the game. It isn’t a surprise that Jose Torres and Damien Alvarez were preferred at left back and left midfield, but Bornstein had been playing very well in his new central midfield role. Instead, both David Toledo and Manuel Viniegra have been preferred.

And yes, the Telemundo cameras are spending plenty of time showing scantily clad women and people who are really, really drunk.

Elsewhere in Mexico, Cruz Azul lead Atlas 1-0 thanks to a goal by Emmanuel Villa, assisted by Chaco Gimenez in the second minute. Just before that goal, Atlas had a goal of their own wrongly disallowed for offsides.