Monarcas Morelia Vs. Pumas UNAM, 2011 Liguilla Final: By The Numbers

Expectations are high as Monarcas Morelia and Pumas UNAM face off in the Liguilla final of the 2011 Clausura. Both teams play wide-open styles, which should lead to some high-scoring games. FMF State of Mind, SB Nation’s Mexican soccer blog, takes a look at some of the numbers, with one in particular sticking out:

8 -- Total games combined suspension for Morelia manager Tomas Boy and veteran player Miguel Sabah, following the late game brawl this past weekend against Cruz Azul. Boy’s five-game suspension means Morelia will play in the final without their manager on the sideline. The team will also be without the veteran leadership of Sabah, who really deserves to be on the field. It’s still unclear what exactly Sabah did during the skirmish to warrant being sent off, let alone the corresponding three-game suspension. Morelia certainly will miss his presence, but it won’t be as big a loss as it may have been earlier in the year. Battling injury, Sabah has not started Morelia’s last four matches, and the team has certainly proved they can get the job done without him when necessary.