Mexican Primera, Clausura Liguilla: Semifinals Set After Tigres Win

UANL Tigres have not been as sharp in the league in the Clausura as they were in the Apertura, when they finished in second place and won Liguilla to take the title, but they looked like title contenders on Sunday night. Their fantastic defense was on display as always, but their attack was surprisingly potent in the second half as they scored four goals away to Monarcas Morelia, sealing a 4-1 win on the day and a 5-1 aggregate win.

Tigres won the first leg 1-0 at home, and after a scoreless first half, it looked like they were going to ride their defense to a clean sheet and a series win like they did throughout last season’s Liguilla. The last 30 minutes looked like anything but a typical Tigres performance against a top team, however.

Tijuana went ahead on Monterrey on two occasions on Saturday night and went up by a man in the first half as well, but the Rayados answered every punch by the Xolos to advance to the semifinals of Liguilla. Tijuana came into the match on Saturday down a goal and needing to win by two to win. They put up a good showing in Monterrey, but didn’t have enough to go through. The match finished a 2-2 draw, with Monterrey going through 4-3 on aggregate.

Egidio Arévalo put Tijuana up after just eight minutes with a great strike from the edge of the penalty area, finding a spot to place the ball into the net past a screened Jonathan Orozco. The match was rather uneventful for 20 minutes after that until the referee made a name for himself, sending off Monterrey’s Angel Reyna. Tied on aggregate and up a man, the Xolos appeared to have a clear path to the semifinals.

Club America are going through to the semifinals of the 2012 Clausura Liguilla, but they didn’t take the easiest route there. After pulling off an impressive 3-1 victory in the first leg of their tie on Wednesday, America looked a little at home in the second leg on Saturday. They let Pachuca score an early goal and never looked much like scoring themselves, but they defended well enough to hold on for a 3-2 aggregate win.

Nestor Vidrio was the surprising scorer for Pachuca in the first half. The defender hit a screamer from 25 yards during open play to stun the Aguilas and bring Pachuca back into the tie from the dead. It came in the 37th minute, and gave the Tuzos some hope heading into the second half.

Jaguares de Chiapas and Santos Laguna made a mutual pact to not do any defending on Thursday night, and Jaguares came out as the worse team for it. Santos have taken a one-goal lead back to Torreon after pulling off a 4-3 victory in Chiapas. Santos already had a massive leg-up in the tie heading into stoppage time with a 3-3 away draw, but Carlos Darwin Quintero netted a winner with the last kick of the ball to make them overwhelming favorites in the second leg.

Daniel Ludueña netted the game’s first goal in the 24th minute, skipping a long-range drive into the back of the net, but Jaguares responded in a magnificent way that made it look like they were going to give Santos a real run for their money. Luis Gabriel Rey netted an equalizer in the 28th minute with a header and Jaguares star Jackson Martinez gave his team the lead three minutes later with a calmly placed finish after a through ball by Edgar Andrade.

Pachuca failed to take advantage of their home field, falling 3-1 to Club America in their Clausura Liguilla Quarterfinal first leg.

The first half wasn’t really great, but it wasn’t really bad either. Both Pachuca and America were cautious early, clearly not wanting to give up the first goal. America seemed content to defend and make forays into the attacking third when the opportunity presented itself, but there was no real sense of urgency. Pachuca on the the other hand played more like a team that knew they needed a goal or two in this home first leg, which is logical thinking.

The Mexican Primera is always wild and unpredictable, but there’s still a general hierarchy of teams. Even though any team can beat any other team on any given week, it’s rare for a true underdog to make a run through Liguilla in which they knock off three superior teams consecutively. The 2011 Apertura saw a massive upset with Queretaro knocking off Chivas Guadalajara in the first round, but quality won out eventually. UANL Tigres, arguably a better team in the regular season than first-placed Chivas, beat a very good Santos Laguna team in the final.

At the same time, the top teams have shuffled throughout the season while dealing with CONCACAF Champions League and Copa Libertadores, as well as the usual injuries and suspensions. First place is only nine points above eighth. Second place is only four points above seventh. There are no underdogs in this version of Liguilla. The top three teams are the favorites, with the next two very close to them in quality, but the Nos. 6-8 seeds are not far behind at all.