In what will be one of the marquee matches of the Liga MX weekend, Cruz Azul will have the slight upper-hand over visitors Monterrey.
Monterrey, for all of their roster talent, have yet to truly be playing at their highest potential under the leadership of well-respected manager Javier Aguirre. Their match earlier this week highlighted that as well. In a dull 1-1 draw with Leon, Monterrey were second-best and lucky to earn a point after being gifted a penalty in the second half.
And while doubts remain with Monterrey, Cruz Azul have constantly been shunning any and all away with an astonishing tally of eight consecutive Liga MX victories. Despite the fact that a few of those have been narrow results, Cruz Azul should be able to extend that streak to nine by Saturday.
Pick:
Cruz Azul for the win()
Find out which Liga MX clubs are looking like strong candidates for this season’s 2021 Clausura title.
How to Watch Cruz Azul vs Monterrey
| Cruz Azul vs Monterrey Information |
| What |
Cruz Azul vs Monterrey |
| Where |
Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, Mexico) |
| When |
Saturday, March 13th at 10:00 PM ET |
| How to Watch |
Univision, TUDN |
We need to give credit where credit is due, manager Juan Reynoso has reinvigorated Cruz Azul.
After starting his tenure with two consecutive defeats that appeared to spell doom for him, the former Cruz Azul player immediately turned things around with a winning streak that has now stretched to eight games. Within those eight victories, Cruz Azul have amassed 15 goals and only three against.
They’ve needed a fortuitous moment here and there in some of those performances, but there are few sides, if any, that don’t count on a lucky moment or two during a prosperous season.
Of course, the question now with each passing week is how long can it last? Will Cruz Azul — a team that is oddly enough associated with bad luck — soon end their run with a dramatic loss? Will the ghosts of previous and noteworthy failures come to haunt them at some point this season?
History tells us that this is inevitable, but statistically speaking, it won’t be Monterrey that end their good run of form.
For a team like Monterrey that house some of the most incredible talent in North America, just two wins in their last five games is not acceptable. They might need more time under Aguirre as head coach, but Aguirre wasn’t brought to gradually create a long-term project. With his experience and know-how that extends decades, the 62-year-old was supposed to have more of an immediate impact.
And while it should be noted that only one loss in 10 games is far from disappointing, you won’t find many fans who are ecstatic with how the roster performed during the latest mid-week game against Leon.
Following two wins that seemed to be pointing the team in the right direction, Monterrey then put out a half-awake 90 minutes in their 1-1 draw on Wednesday. Needing a controversial penalty to gift them a goal against Leon, a point was perhaps serendipitous when they never really troubled goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota.
Reynoso Has Been Able To Adapt And Alter His Blueprints For Cruz Azul
Whether it be through a rotation of starters, influential substitutions in the 2nd half or a change of tactics, Reynoso has proved week in and week out that he has numerous tools that he can utilize against any Liga MX rival.
As mentioned earlier, there have been some close calls with a handful of narrow wins, but there is no arguing against his flexible approach that has paid dividends for Cruz Azul. Through this method that rotates players, it has also been fascinating to watch gradual tweaks in his formation that could look like a 4-4-2 for a couple of matches and then switch over to a more modern 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
And all the while, there seem to be no complaints from the roster or from any of his star players either.
It’s Only A Matter Of Time Before Jonathan “Cabecita” Rodriguez Picks Up His Goalscoring Pace
It’s no secret that Rodriguez is a top-three player in Liga MX when he’s playing at the peak of his abilities for Cruz Azul. Quick, sturdy, and also lethal with his finishing, the Uruguayan is impossible to defend when he’s flying down the pitch.
He now has two goals and an assist in his last three games, and with Cruz Azul now gaining even more momentum, Rodriguez will surely have more opportunities to shine in coming weeks for the Mexico City club.
Now fully fit and with some off-the-field problems behind him, the leading goalscorer from last season should once again be off to the races when it comes to scoring crucial goals.
/filters:no_upscale()/fit-in/1200x585/1665751834/cruz-azul-vs-monterrey.jpg.jpeg "cruz-azul-vs-monterrey")
/1666271424/cesar-hernandez.jpg "Cesar hernandez")
/dmca.png "Dmca"){kind=small}
/1670944202/21.png "21"){kind=small}
/1670944628/2022-igb-best-casino-affiliate-gig-media-e1651053747946.png "2022 igb best casino affiliate gig media e1651053747946"){kind=small}
/1670944701/gig-media-power-affiliates-rank-123x40-1.png "Gig media power affiliates rank 123x40 1"){kind=icon}
/1670944773/800-gambler-black-144x40.jpg "800 gambler black 144x40"){kind=small}
/1718715753/gpwa.webp "Gpwa"){kind=small}
