Posted by Here are my three takeaways from Cruz Azul’s 1-0 away victory over Chivas from a rainy Estadio Akron.
Game Marked by Adverse Weather Conditions
About two hours before the match began, an intense rainstorm began to saturate the Estadio Akron pitch. The wet conditions forced the start of the game to be delayed half an hour. When play finally started, there were large pools of standing water on the touchline closest to the technical areas. The ball was unable to roll properly in many parts of the field, especially near the touchlines. Furthermore, there were numerous instances of players slipping and falling as they tried to play the ball.
The deplorable state of the playing field meant that tactics were thrown out the window for much of the match, as even short passes along the ground routinely came to a soggy stop well short of their target. In the first half, Cruz Azul adjusted better to the adverse conditions than their hosts. With the imposing Milton Caraglio up top, Cruz Azul had an outlet that they could look to hit with their long balls. Caraglio’s hold-up play gave Cruz Azul multiple set piece opportunities, and allowed the visitors to move forward without playing through the midfield.
Given the important role he had played for his team in the first half, it was surprising to see Caraglio taken off for Martín Cauteruccio before the start of the second half. With his first involvement, however, Cauteruccio vindicated coach Pedro Caixinha’s decision to bring him on. After winger Édgar Méndez found Cauteruccio in space just inside Chivas’ half with an inventive flick, Cauteruccio accelerated towards goal, taking on and beating last defender Hedgardo Marín before firing a low right-footed shot past the helpless Raúl Gudiño.
While the field was far more playable in the second half than it had been in the first, both teams still struggled to string passes together. Although Chivas should have equalized right at the death, with substitute Ángel Sepúlveda heading wide from point-blank range, Cruz Azul managed to see out their victory with relative comfort. However, the substandard level of play exhibited by both teams suggests that this match should have been suspended by referee Fernando Hernandez Gomez before it even began.
Are Cruz Azul Title Favorites?
Although they are one of the best-supported clubs in Mexico, Cruz Azul’s last league title came all the way back in December 1997. In the years since then, the club have become famous for expensive foreign signings that fail to perform and for choking in big matches. The club’s ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory has led to the creation of the verb “cruzazulear” (literally, to Cruz Azul) to describe someone choking under pressure. Although two victories to begin this Apertura will not completely banish the demons of repeated big game collapses, the strong performances of their new signings is encouraging going forward.
For the Apertura 2018, new Sporting Director Ricardo Peláez spent big to bring in key players in every area of the field. In defense, ex-América stalwart Pablo Aguilar has made Cruz Azul more solid at the back. After two games, La Máquina are yet to concede. In midfield, Iván Marcone has improved Cruz Azul both defensively and in their circulation of the ball. Further forward, Mexican international winger Elías Hernández has brought a new dimension to the attack with his mazy dribbling and pinpoint crossing.
Besides boasting more quality in their starting 11 this season than in the Clausura 2018, Cruz Azul are also a deeper and more balanced team than they were last season. Cruz Azul’s four goals in this Apertura have been scored by four different players. Furthermore, the winning goals in both their games were scored by substitutes, with Andrés Rentería striking against Puebla and Cauteruccio finding the winner in this match. Although only two rounds of the Apertura 2018 have been played, Cruz Azul are already well on their way to surpassing the 5 wins they collected in the Clausura 2018. If they can beat perennial title challenger Tigres in their next match, Cruz Azul will have to be considered a strong contender, if not the number one favorite, for the Apertura 2018 title.
Chivas Struggle to Create
During the Clausura 2018, Chivas struggled mightily in the final third, scoring only 14 goals in 17 games. Their already feeble attack was further depleted this offseason with the departure of star attacking midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro. In Pizarro’s absence, the creative burden has fallen to ex-Toluca man Isaac Brizuela and academy graduate Javier “La Chofis” López. While Brizuela showed flashes of his ability in this match, the two players struggled to engineer anything of note for their side. If Brizuela and López cannot find creative consistency, Chivas will have trouble finding the back of the net.
A further worry for coach Jose Saturnino Cardozo is the lack of productivity shown by his two main forwards, Alan Pulido and Ángel Zaldívar. Since signing for Chivas for a Liga MX record $18 million before the Apertura 2016, Pulido has managed only 20 goals in 59 games. Zaldívar’s numbers are even poorer, as he has managed the same number of goals over 87 matches. To have success, the few chances that Chivas do create will have to be snapped-up by their forward players. Given the record of Pulido and Zaldívar, it is unlikely that they will score the goals that take Chivas to the Liguilla.
Just for Kicks 