Posted by Here are my three takeaways from Pumas’ wild 4-2 win over Lobos BUAP at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario.
Complacent Pumas Nearly Punished
Although a win here saw Pumas jump to second place in the table, their impressive offensive production should not overshadow the evident weaknesses in the team’s mentality. After Alan Mendoza’s 7th minute strike gave the home side an early lead, Pumas dominated the ball for the remainder of the first half. Lobos rarely looked like scoring in the first period, and did not register their first shot until the 40th minute.
Nevertheless, Pumas failed to put away their weak opponents and seemed to take their foot off the gas after Mendoza’s strike. The Mexico City-based club did not truly test opposing goalkeeper Antonio Rodríguez after going up 1-0. After Lobos started the second half on the front foot, Pumas were punished for their lax attitude in the first half when Honduran winger Michaell Chirinos found the equalizer for the visitors. Even after two quick-fire goals from Juan Iturbe and Pablo Barrera seemed to seal the three points, Pumas let Lobos back into the game again when Leo Ramos halved the deficit in the 74th minute.
Pumas’ failure to kill off their opponent was reminiscent of their 2-2 draw against América in round 7. With a two-man advantage and a 2-1 lead after Carlos González had struck in the 73rd minute, a win for Pumas against their hated rival seemed assured. However, Pumas were strangely passive in the final minutes of the match, sitting back and ceding possession to América. Their indifference was castigated when Henry Martín found a miraculous equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time, a result that left coach David Patiño’s job in jeopardy. Although consecutive wins at León and here against Lobos have steadied the ship, Pumas must improve mentally if they are to have success in the liguilla.
González One of Mexico’s Best Forwards
After star forward Nico Castillo was sold this summer to Benfica, Pumas looked set to struggle in front of goal. In an effort to replace Castillo’s 11 league goals last season, Pumas brought in South Americans Felipe Mora and Carlos González from Cruz Azul and Necaxa, respectively.
So far, the two players have adequately replaced Castillo’s goal output. Mora has struck four times in the league while González has three goals. More importantly, Pumas are the league’s top scorers so far with 18 goals. González in particular has been crucial to the success of the Pumas attack, and he demonstrated his value to the team in this match.
Although Mora was subbed off in the 64th minute after an ineffective showing, González used the remaining minutes to demonstrate the quality of his all-around game. First, González showed superb hold up and link-play for Pablo Barrera’s strike for the 3-1. After left-back Mendoza launched a long ball forward, González killed the ball with two touches on his chest before waiting for Barrera’s run. Once Barrera was in position, González laid the ball out to his right into the ex-West Ham winger’s stride, allowing him to take a touch past his defender and fire into the bottom corner with his second touch.
González also set up Pumas’ fourth with a precise cross to the back post that allowed Matías Alustiza to head home. The Paraguayan forward scored nine goals for a mid-table Necaxa team last season, but the depth of this Pumas attack means that the other aspects of his game are allowed to flourish, making Pumas a much more balanced and dangerous offensive team than they were with Castillo.
Lobos Battle Gamely But Lack Quality
In their first season in Liga MX last year, Lobos BUAP were relegated from the division after a promising Apertura 2017 under Rafael Puente Jr. However, they took advantage of a bizarre rule that allowed them to pay $6.4 million to keep their Liga MX status. Although they were still a Liga MX team at the start of 2018-19, Lobos are currently last in the relegation table. If Lobos are relegated again, they would have to pay $21.3 million to stay in the top division. It is unlikely that Lobos would be able to pay this sum, meaning that another last placed finish would be disastrous for the club.
Unfortunately for Lobos, they look unlikely to save themselves from relegation on the field. The team lost four starters (Luis Advíncula, Pedro Aquino, Julián Quiñones and Eduardo Tercero) in the offseason, and those players have not been adequately replaced. The poor level of the squad is particularly apparent up front. Coming into this match, Lobos had gotten only one goal from their forwards, a Colin Kazim-Richards strike against Monterrey in round 6. Although new forward Leonardo Ramos scored here on his first appearance for the club, his journeyman career through the lower divisions of Argentina does not inspire confidence that he can be the answer to the club’s goal-scoring needs.
Lobos also lack quality on the bench. Ex-Pumas coach Francisco “Paco” Palencia was hired as head coach before this Apertura. However, Palencia has failed to inspire Lobos to positive results, as the team have only four points from nine league matches. After an unsuccessful spell at Pumas, Palencia was given a second chance as a Liga MX coach by Lobos, an opportunity which he seems to be wasting.
The former Mexican international displayed questionable decision-making in this match. With his side a goal down with 10 minutes remaining, Palencia took off Chirinos, who up until that point had been his side’s best player, in favor of right-back Luis Olascoaga. The extra defensive cover did not stop Pumas from scoring the 4-2 minutes later. Rumors have circulated that Lobos would have fired Palencia weeks ago were it not for a clause in his contact that would see him paid two years salary if he was let go. With a lame duck coach and one of the worst squads in the league, Lobos look doomed.
Just for Kicks 