Snak

Liga MX placed under the spotlight

Miguel Herrera´s tactics will be severely tested against New Zealand.
If new El Tri coach Miguel Herrera had wanted to focus attention on Liga MX like never before, well, mission accomplished. By picking only players from that league to decide Mexico´s fate in the playoff match versus New Zealand for a spot in World Cup 2014, Herrera assured that the international sporting fate of the country would live or die with the talent produced by the league.

It´s a bold move in some ways, but also sadly reminiscent of Mexico´s previous attitude, which seemed to be that CONCACAF qualifying was somehow beneath the country´s top stars. That approach might explain why some played as if they could hardly be bothered. Then again, the Liga MX stars that performed for the Gold Cup tournament didn´t exactly cover themselves with glory either. Herrera may have issued the squad an important wake-up call, but if the message he sends to New Zealand now is that he considers the country so little of a threat that he is going to let the top European stars rest, he could be in for a rude surprise.

On the other hand, if a player goes to Europe, Liga MX is no longer his home stomping ground. The altitude, the environment, the familiarity with teammates -- all those aspects are missing. Usually a player´s innate skill can overcome those issues, but perhaps Herrera wished to avoid dealing with those problems in the first place.

Even if he is ultimately successful in qualifying Mexico over New Zealand, Herrera´s unwillingness to integrate the team´s European stars might doom his tenure to these few games in favor of a permanent coach more willing to tackle the conundrum of meshing all of El Tri´s best players. Herrera´s entire stint as coach could consist of squads made up of players he knows and trusts. He will sink or sail based on them.

Over the weekend, however, Herrera´s club squad in Liga MX, Club America, was less than its usual dominating self. They avoided a loss versus Queretaro, but couldn´t manage a goal in the scoreless result. Granted, Queretaro had the greater incentive in the match, because they are desperately clinging on to the final playoff spot, while Club America sits pretty in the top spot of the league. Still, rivals may take solace in the idea that the defending champions are growing complacent at exactly the wrong time.

Club Tijuana showed an impressive hunger to earn a playoff spot, demolishing Atlante 4-1 to move within two points of Queretaro´s spot.

Tigres, in the ninth position, are also knocking on the door of the playoffs, but they didn´t help themselves as much as they might have, drawing 1-1 with Leon.

Cruz Azul took down Morelia, 1-0. The Monarchs have been slumping toward the end of the season, but look to hang on in seventh place. Cruz Azul moved up to third place in the table.

Powered by the seemingly ageless Humberto Suazo, Monterrey put up three goals against Veracruz. Both teams are now likely out of the playoff picture, but Monterrey showed it can still play spoiler to another club´s hopes.

Chiapas FC may have done the same to Santos Laguna´s chances of catching Club America in first place. The former Jaguares club took down the Laguneros 2-1.

Puebla and Pachuca battled to a 1-1 draw that helped neither much in advancing to the liguilla. Atlas and Toluca had the same scoreline, but at 5th place in the league table, Toluca could afford an off game. Atlas, at 15th position, have basically written off their season already.

What was ultimately the most painful thing to watch about Chivas vs Pumas was how the result still mattered to both teams. Both are in the midst of incredibly poor seasons, but the pride of the clubs who regularly used to be among the league´s best was evident. An early goal by Rafael Marquez Lugo settled things, but both fought until the end, earning a rash of yellow cards throughout the match.

The result lifted Guadalajara to a slightly more respectable point total than Pumas, but considering how both clubs will be complete non-factors as Club America chases a historic title, it must be small consolation.

Similarly, one wonders if lifting the Liga MX trophy for Las Aguilas at the season´s end will mean much to Herrera if this November, his Liga MX players fail to advance Mexico to the World Cup.

Soccer Roundup: Católica three points clear with title in its grasp

O’Higgins blows Cobresal away to keep the heat on league leaders, Colo Colo is humbled by Concepción, and ‘La U’ coach speaks out over ‘Clasico Universitario’ debacle.


Universidad Católica 2-1 Cobreloa

Católica maintained its three-point lead at the top of the table with a victory over fourth placed Cobreloa on Sunday. While the goal margin was narrow, the home team dominated throughout, and the 80th minute goal which restored the team’s lead after a dubious equalizer from the spot was well deserved.

“This team has matured and grown a lot. After that kind of first half performance it was incomprehensible for us to not win the game,” Católica manager Martín Lasarte said after the match, referencing the penalty which almost cost the team two points. “The team was calm and relaxed … and luckily José Luis Muñoz scored — I thought it was justified.”

The game was not without its drawbacks for Católica — Primera División second top scorer Nicolás Castillo will miss next weekend’s match against Everton after an accumulation of yellow cards. Lasarte praised both the player’s potential and passion, though said his star striker needed to “calm down” in order to responsibly spearhead a title-challenging side.

Castillo’s free kick led to the opener in the 28th minute — the ball crept low through the wall and, seeing it late, goalkeeper Luciano Palos could only parry a save into the path of midfielder Michael Ríos for a tap-in.

Católica could have been 3-0 up by that point — Tomás Costa had already been denied by the woodwork, fellow midfielder Milovan Mirosevic almost had the better of Palos, and defender Hans Martínez had a shot blocked on the line, all in under half an hour.

Cobreloa, by contrast, seemed a shadow of the team they were earlier this season, and it may very well be that last semester’s fine finish and the prize of a Copa Sudamericana berth was a poisoned chalice for a team that looked lethargic and out of ideas.

The team briefly tied the game against the run of play when René Lima scored from the spot after Jaime Grondona went down easily in the 75th, though five minutes later striker Muñoz belted in a deserved winner at the other end.

Católica’s championship run-in — Everton, Antofagasta, Colo Colo at home and Unión La Calera — is far from challenging, and with a three-point buffer the title is its to lose. Cobreloa, meanwhile, will want to regroup quickly if the side is to ensure a top-five position and a chance at qualifying for next year’s Copa Libertadores.

Cobresal 0-4 O’Higgins

After losing to Colo Colo the previous weekend, second-placed O’Higgins needed a win against tricky Northern club Cobresal on Saturday to maintain realistic hopes of a domestic league title. Perhaps jittery with nerves, the visitors played out a cagey first half, though after Cobresal failed to punish its opposition, confidence grew in the O’Higgins ranks and the team thumped in four goals without reply in a rampant second half.

The afternoon was one to forget for Cobresal keeper Sebastián Cuerdo — not only did he pick the ball out of the net four times, errors on his part led to three of the goals.

The Argentine palmed a ground ball into the path of striker Pablo Calandria for a simple finish in the 53rd minute to give O’Higgins the lead, and then brought down a player in the box just after the hour mark to give away a penalty which midfielder Pablo Hernández duly dispatched. Prior to that, the keeper could have done little to block defender Alejandro López’s spectacular dipping drive from range, though poor decision making returned in the 74th minute — Cuerdo left his line to contest a bouncing ball, but only cleared as far as striker Francisco Pizarro who chipped the ball into an open net.

A late season surge from Cobresal had briefly put the club in contention for a Copa Libertadores play-off spot, though two losses in a row has sunk the team to seventh. O’Higgins not only need Católica to drop points — with Unión Española and Cobreloa in its run-in, the teams has its work cut out for it.

Unión La Calera 0-3 Universidad de Chile

“La U” responded well to the previous weekend’s bitter ANFP ruling that awarded three points to Católica after the cancellation of the “Clasico Universitario,” brushing Unión La Calera aside with three second half goals on Sunday.

Prior to kick-off in La Calera, manager Marco Antonio Figueroa broke his long silence over the season-defining decision to end the match against Universidad de Chile’s cross-town rivals early in the second half after Católica midfielder Fernando Meneses was struck by an unrolled streamer thrown from the stands.

The manager was quick to denounce the throwing of projectiles, though vented his frustration at the cancelation of the match, and defended the actions of goalkeeper Johnny Herrera who was accused of hitting Meneses while the player was being carted off the field.

“I condemn the person who threw the projectile. The paper roll was this big [indicates a small size with fingers] but that does not repudiate the wrongdoing,” the manager said, before standing by his goalkeeper. “A player said [Herrera] struck Fernando Menses when he was on a stretcher and that’s not true. He hit the cart that was carrying the stretcher. These are the things you have to report accurately,” he told the press.

“El Fantasma” went on to say that he felt Católica’s players were fading quickly and that his team would have won the game had it not been canceled.

“Católica could not win on the pitch because they were physically unfit,” he said. “Losing a game off the pitch is wrong. The match should have been replayed.”

The coach said the ruling — with particular reference to the nature of the projectile — set a dangerous precedent that could be used by other teams in the future to end games prematurely.

On the soccer field, Figueroa’s men gave him the response he would have asked for, chipping away at La Calera in the first half, before striking three times to kill off the game in the second. Striker Isaac Díaz capitalized on a goalkeeping error to get his team off the mark in the 49th, and twenty minutes later speed-merchant Sebastián Ubilla beautifully controlled a long ball from deep before slotting home the second. The two attackers combined for the third just before stoppage time — Ubilla’s delicate backheel teed up Díaz who couldn’t miss from ten-yards out.

Eight points off the top with four games to go, “La U” would require a perfect run and catastrophe to strike in the Católica and O’Higgins camps to claim its fifth title in as many years in the semi-annual competition. La Calera sits 15th.

Universidad de Concepción 4-1 Colo Colo

Regardless of Colo Colo’s poor season so far, the team’s supporters will find this result a particularly bitter pill to swallow given the manner in which their team was beaten on Friday night by newly promoted mid-table opponent Universidad de Concepción.

Colo Colo’s evening started badly as goalkeeper Justo Villar brought down striker Gabriel Vargas after ten minutes in to concede a penalty. Vargas then sent Villar the wrong way to make it 1-0. Three minutes later and Colo Colo was once again caught off-guard at the back as striker Diego Ruíz nonchalantly jogged onto a beautifully weighted through ball to dink past the oncoming Villar.

It was Ruíz who again landed his name on the score sheet on 30 minutes as the striker, now brimming with confidence, controlled a pass on the left edge of the box before ripping a wonderful curling shot past the unfortunate Villar, who by now was surely wondering what more could go wrong.

Colo Colo worked hard to fashion a reply in the second half as midfielder José “Chapita” Fuenzalida ran on to a fine lofted ball to finish in style, giving the away fans something to cheer about. However, Concepción striker Juan Cabral put the final nail in the coffin a couple of minutes before the full time whistle.

Positioned eighth, Concepción has a fighting chance of securing a top five finish while Colo Colo will have to improve if it is to salvage anything from what has been a bitterly disappointing season so far. The team currently has 17 points and sits in 12th.

Rangers 2-3 Palestino

Friday’s duel between Rangers and Palestino at the Estadio Fiscal de Talca did not fail to excite as both teams treated supporters to a dose of end to end, frenetic football.

Rangers dictated play for the first quarter until Palestino striker Roberto Gutiérrez broke the line and ghosted past both center backs to slide a tight shot beyond the reach of outstretched keeper Nicolás Peric. Rangers clawed back the lion’s share of possession minutes later to reply with a goal from midfielder Gervasio Núñez, who hit home a deflected shot just before half time.

It wasn’t until the 71st minute that Palestino regained the lead through Sergio López although Rangers again replied in the blink of an eye when Núñez scored his second of the evening after collecting a cross which evaded everyone in the box and kept his head to pass the ball into the net with his left foot.

The game looked to be heading for a deserved draw but Palestino midfielder César Valenzuela reared his head in the 85 minute to make a mockery of Peric in goal, who flapped wildly at a tame shot, inadvertently guiding the ball into the home team’s net.

The result condemns Rangers to second from bottom in the overall standings while Palestino strengthens its grip on fifth place, albeit level on points with Iquique.

Unión Española 3-1 Santiago Wanderers

Española striker Sebastián Jaime rediscovered last season’s predatory instinct in front of goal to score a fine hat-trick which sends his team into ninth place, one spot above Saturday’s opponents Santiago Wanderers.

Wanderers striker Marcos Sebastián Pol opened the scoring with a deflected drive 20 minutes in, however the visiting team was outplayed for the most part and the crowd didn’t have to wait long for the home team’s reply.

Having endured a torrid start to its title-defending season, Española is on an impressive run of form at the moment having lost only once in six matches and will be buoyed by Jaime’s goals, the first of which arrived one minute later when he headed in an accurate cross from the right flank.

His second came six minutes before the break as he angled in a low drive across the goalmouth following neat build up play. The Argentine capped off his renaissance by saving the best for last, neatly controlling a through ball in the 81st minute to slot past the hapless Mauricio Viana in goal.

The Santiago-based team is now knocking on the door of the top five placed teams who will be looking over their shoulders as no more than five points separates fourth placed Cobreloa and Santiago Wanderers in tenth.

Iquique 4-1 Ñublense

Sunday’s match between Iquique and Ñublense was overshadowed by the death of former manager Ramón Estay who took the helm of Iquique for seven separate stints between 1979 and 2003. He will always be remembered for steering the team to promotion to the first division during his first year as manager.

The home team bid him an emotional farewell by brushing aside the Chillán-based away team. Iquique left-back Nicolás Ortiz got his team off the mark by rising above Ñublense goalkeeper Lucas Giovini to head in from close range on 21 minutes. Giovini was then replaced by Diego Faúndez after receiving a red card but the substitute was left red-faced when Santiago Romero’s long-range effort dribbled under his legs and over the line 12 minutes into the second half.

The day got worse for Faúndez when Iquique attacking midfielder Rodrigo Díaz cooly curled in a penalty in the 76th minute. Ñublense striker Luciano Vázquez managed to hook in a volley seven-minutes later but his team was dealt a third defeat in six matches when Gerson Martínez’s clever chip completed the rout moments before the final whistle.

Iquique moves into sixth place, level on points with Palestino and Cobreloa, after a third-straight win and will no doubt be feeling that one of Chile’s three Copa Libertadores berths is a distinct possibility. Ñublense is now 14th after only its second loss in six games.

Audax Italiano 4-1 Everton

Everton failed to build on last week’s surprise victory over Iquique after being blown away by an Audax Italiano side also struggling for form of late. Italiano attacking midfielder Gamadiel García got the home team off the mark with a precise right-footed finish from the edge of the box in the 19th minute before striker Felipe Mora scored his second goal is as many games to make it 2-0 five minutes before half time.

Italiano continued to dominate after the break when midfielder Iván Vásquez’s fizzing shot squirmed past Everton goalkeeper Gustavo Dalsasso who should have saved. Juan Cornejo then drifted off the left-wing to thump in a knockdown from a corner on the 72nd minute to curtail any faint hopes of an Everton comeback.

Everton playmaker Ángel Rojas scored a 30 yard screamer four minutes from time but the goal was merely a consolation as the travelling team remained 14th with 13 points. Italiano, however, ended a run of five consecutive defeats after Saturday’s result and subsequently sneak up the table to 16th.

Antofagasta 1-0 Huachipato

Antofagasta grinded out its fifth win of the season on Sunday with victory over Huachipato who is languishing at the bottom of the table. Huachipato dominated the first half but could not find a way past an inspired Jorge Broun in goal. The deadlock was broken in the 70th minute when midfielder Marlon Fernández scored with a powerful header before Antofagasta held on for all three points to move up to 11th.

Apertura upcoming fixtures:

Nov. 8, 8 p.m: O’Higgins vs. Cobreloa
Nov. 9, 12:30 p.m: Palestino vs. Cobresal
Nov. 9, 3:30 p.m: Santiago Wanderers vs. Rangers
Nov. 9, 6 p.m: Unión Española vs. Unión La Calera
Nov. 9, 8:30 p.m: Huachipato vs. Universidad de Concepción
Nov. 9, 10 p.m: Iquique vs. Audax Italiano
Nov. 10, 12 p.m: Colo Colo vs. Universidad de Chile
Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m: Everton vs. Universidad Católica
Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m: Ñublense vs. Antofagasta

Mål

http://www.cdf.cl/videos/

@ Goi

Det skal nok gå de rykker ikke ned, da de ligger rimeligt i Promedio-tabellen.

http://espndeportes.espn…eague=ARG.1


Det alle de Independiente i "la B" jokes der er nu kommer retur - Karmawise.

http://www.youtube.com/w…qvavAFPBtzc
http://www.youtube.com/w…VAemvDG-CfA

http://www.youtube.com/w…VjtCSi2x5MQ


De har fået vendt det med Merlo som træner back to back victories, de har haft brug for en erfaren manager - med alle de unge spillere.

Så nåede Suppen lige at få en omtale i de brasilianske medier, courtesy of "Mr Nobody" Santin´s målscoring for København (?)

César Santin ‘will never forget’ becoming København’s all-time top scorer

København forward César Santin insists he ‘will never forget’ becoming the club’s all-time top goalscorer.

The 32 year-old surpassed Senegalese forward Dame N´Doye - now at Lokomotiv Moscow - with two goals in Wednesday’s 4-3 Danish Cup victory against OB. Santin’s record is 83 goals.

"I can tell my daughter and any kids I have in the future that dad was the top scorer at the biggest club in Scandinavia, and they will be very proud of me. It means a lot to me to be in the history of the biggest club in Scandinavia. I will never forget this,” he told uefa.com.

The Porto Alegre-native joined København from Swedish side Kalmar FF in 2008. He claims a change of position from then manager Ståle Solbakken - who is back at the club - brought the best out of him.

"When I came to FCK, I was an attacking midfielder who usually played behind the striker," he explained. ”I had never really scored that many goals in my career, but I came here and started to score goals, and actually I like it.

"Because of FCK´s playing concept, they believed that someone like me should play further up the pitch. We had a conversation and I agreed. So they moved me a bit forward and then I started to score.”

Now a veteran, Santin is largely a reserve. He has made just two starts in the Danish Superliga this season. Having already announced he will leave at the end of the season, Santin is not ruling out a return to Brazil.

"I came to Europe at a young age, so nobody really knows much about me in Brazil," he noted. "I want to go back and play one or two years before I finish my career just to show them what I have learned in Europe.”

Santin made six appearances with Grêmio, as well as having spells at Vitória and São José-PA, before joining Kalmar FF in 2004

Brazil 2014: Who will shock the world?

Bulgaria and Sweden at USA 1994, Croatia at France 1998, South Korea and Turkey in 2002 and Uruguay in 2010 – just what is the pattern?

All were unfancied national football teams and yet all of them surprised everyone to fall just one game short of competing in the final of football’s biggest prize.

The history of the World Cup has prepared us for a semi-final surprise package, so who is the team to not look out for and be ultimately surprised by in 2014?

I’ll take the aforementioned collection of shock world cup final-four achievers and I’ll raise you La Roja, better known as Chile.

Yes Chile, for they’re not in the top ten favourites with the bookmakers and they don’t crop up in many World Cup debates but they should be taken seriously, very seriously indeed.

When England host them at Wembley Stadium on November 15th the hope will be for a home victory and another building block to be put in place in preparation for Brazil 2014.

Yet England will be facing a team they would do well to avoid in the draw for the tournament’s group stage on December 6th in Bahia, a draw which will see Chile sitting quietly in one of the un-seeded geographical pots.

Since a defeat to Peru in March of this year Chile have gone 9 games unbeaten scoring 25 goals and conceding 10 in the process.

That defeat was Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli’s first game in charge since taking over from Claudio Borghi and he is very much a student of the ‘Bielsista philosophy’, an attacking style of play used by former Chile coach and fellow Argentine Marco Bielsa.

Their game is expansive and based around a high pressing tactic that sees them smother the opposition in their own half in an attempt to exploit them when most vulnerable – attack with six rotating players whilst the other four close the space in order to win the ball back, think Barcelona’s tika-taka at a ferocious pace or for a more budget version – Argentine Mauricio Pochettino’s impressive Southampton.

Their complete domination of Spain at their own game in a 2-2 draw in September was a joy to behold, seldom have Spain looked as exposed as Chile repeatedly robbed them of the ball in their own half and exploited them with 2v1 scenarios down the flanks, a style that was also effective in another 2-2 draw away to Brazil some months earlier.

Sampaoli arrived with a proven track record after leading Universidad de Chile to four national titles as well as the Copa Sudamericana.

The 53-year-old has brought out the best in the attacking trio of Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez, Gremio’s Eduardo Vargas and Jorge Valdivia of Palmeiras and has provided them with the flexibility to express themselves.

Behind them is the power and discipline of Juventus stars Arturo Vidal and Mauricio Isla as well as Fiorentina’s Matias Fernandez, Basel’s Marcelo Diaz and Cardiff’s Gary Medel.

They provide the team with the solidity that was perhaps slightly missing in Bielsa’s side of 2010 that carried the ball with reckless abandon but were perhaps not as great at getting it back.

In 2010 Chile reached the last sixteen whilst winning plenty of neutral support and in 2014 Chile will boast an enormous amount of support of their own.Of all the people to apply for World Cup tickets this year it was supporters from Chile who made the 5th largest number of applications and supporters will travel in their thousands across South America to see La Roja in action.

With a large and partisan following, a familiarity with the mixed climate of Brazil’s north and south and with an in-form side featuring a blend of youth and experience from some of Europe’s top clubs they have all the ingredients to pose a serious threat.

It was February 1998 when Chile outclassed Glen Hoddle’s England at Wembley to win 2-0 in a match that prepared both for France 98 and England will be hoping to avoid a similar fate this time around as Roy Hodgson looks to build on an impressive end to the qualifying campaign.

But if England toil at Wembley in two weeks’ time it is my hope that we refrain from the typically frenzied negative reaction and take it for what it would be – a struggle against an exceptional side who could well outshine England and the majority of others at football’s showpiece next summer.

Ibanez, Argentina´s accidental goal hero


Argentina began their FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013 campaign in uncertain fashion in front of goal, failing to make the most of the chances they created. Yet, as the tournament has progressed, La Albiceleste have sharpened their finishing and are now the fourth-highest scorers in the competition with 12 goals.

Part of the reason for that is the rich form of midfielder Joaquin Ibanez, who came into the side in place of a suspended team-mate for the match against Austria and has stayed there ever since, thanks to his fine performances and prolificacy. Nicknamed Pata by his team-mates, the smiling Ibanez spoke to FIFA.com about his exploits in the UAE, which has brought him four goals so far.

“It’s a surprise for me to have scored that many in the World Cup,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said that I came here expecting to get a few. That’s the way it’s turned out though, and obviously I’m very happy. I’d scored a few goals for my club but not that many, and now here I am in among them for the national team.”

The coach asked me to either arrive late in the box or stay up the whole time. The way we play has helped me to score.Joaquin Ibanez

Ibanez, who helped Lanus’s youth team win the Argentinian seventh division last season, acknowledged that he was a little fortunate to gain a starting place for that second group match against the Austrians, earning a place in the side after Lucio Compagnucci was sent off in the opener against Iran.

“Things like that can happen,” he said. “You come into the team because of something that doesn’t happen very often, though that’s all part of the game too. Fortunately the coach has shown faith in me and I’ve stayed in the starting line-up.”

One of the reasons why Ibanez has been able to pose a threat in the opposing penalty box is the solidity the Argentinians have shown at the back and their sound tactics, which have seen them concede just five times at UAE 2013.

“The coach asked me to either arrive late in the box or stay up the whole time,” explained the free-scoring midfielder. “The way we play has helped me to score, though it also depends on how games go.”

Mexican hurdle

Ibanez and Co have built up plenty of momentum as they head into the semi-finals, where they will face reigning champions Mexico.

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s tie, Ibanez knows very well what to expect: “We are in good shape. We’re feeling relaxed and very confident in ourselves. I think it’s a game we can win, but we can’t afford to be too confident. Mexico are tough opponents, though we do have a good side and we feel we can beat them.”

The in-form player is also looking to add to his tally of goals, though he will be up against one of the best goalkeepers in the competition in Raul Gudino, who has been beaten just twice in the last four matches.

“Mexico are a well-balanced side with a great goalkeeper,” said Ibanez. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to score past him but I hope I do. I’ve got a lot of faith in myself and I really believe I can help the team reach the final, something Argentina have never managed before.”

As the 5ft 10ins midfielder went on to explain, the Argentinians have been sticking to their policy of taking each game as it comes: “Our first objective was to make it through to the last 16, which we did by winning our group without losing a game. Then we won our ties in the Round of 16 and the quarters.

"Obviously we’re dreaming of being the champions but we have to focus on what’s coming up next. We can’t lose sight of our goals or think about things that don’t make any sense.”

Discussing his ambitions, hopes and dreams, he signed off by saying “my biggest dream was to play in a World Cup in the Argentina jersey, and I’ve fulfilled that. It’s one of the best things that can happen to you as a player. My next goal now is to make my first-team debut with my club and play in the first division.”

One dream Ibanez never had, however, was top-scoring for his country in a World Cup. And yet here he is, doing just that.

og så er selvsamme Ibañez lige blevet kylet ud...lillebror har iøvrigt brændt straffe ...og er nede med 2-0 til Pancho Villa g co på en doblete af Ochoa....underholdende semi.

pause ...2-0 Mexico

en time spillet fortsat mexicansk 2-0 føring...

America poised for ´final´ championship run

MEXICO CITY -- Despite picking up only a point in their last two matches, Club America has secured the Liga MX´s top playoff spot going into the last week of play. Under Miguel Herrera, the team lost only once in their first thirteen league games, and has managed to pick up four of nine points since then under interim manager Alvaro Galindo.

Next weekend, the defending league champions will likely close out the season with almost half of its first-team squad missing. Since taking over the Mexican national team, Herrera has called up ten of his club pupils to El Tri, looking to push that team over the hump against New Zealand just nine days from now at the Estadio Azteca.

In the uneven, borderline superstitious world of the Liga MX, having the top spot in the playoffs is almost never seen as a boon, but almost always as a burden. Since the short-season format was adopted in 1996, the vast majority of top seeds have underperformed, with a good many being kicked out of the Liguilla playoffs in the opening quarterfinal round.

It´s hard to argue that this league leader won’t make the cut, though. With Miguel Herrera at the helm, America has slowly improved its playoff runs, with two straight semifinal berths in his first year in charge giving way to the team´s 11th league championship last May. Now, they set their sights on a more elusive mark: No team since Pumas has notched back-to-back titles since 2004.

With rumors of European interest circling around young stars Raul Jimenez and Miguel Layun, the next weeks will be absolutely critical. Jimenez, the author of a spectacular bicycle kick goal that kept Mexico in the running for Brazil 2014 last month, will try to capitalize on his raised profile for club and country this November. Former America and Real Madrid boss and current Ajax front office man Leo Beenhakker has been glowing in his praise of Jimenez, and could very well mount an offer for the striker over the winter break.

Layun, already with Italian Serie A experience under his belt at Atalanta in 2010, has risen from second-string footballer and running joke on Twitter to consistent national teamer and media friendly face for both America and the Mexican national team. A move back to Europe will likely be Layun´s prize if he continues to dazzle on the left wing; back-to-back titles with America and a ticket to Brazil 2014 could easily launch him back to the Old World.

In keeping with the "now or never" theme, Herrera himself might be geared for a final run at the helm of the club. A berth into the World Cup will likely assure him continuity into next summer, and leave America with a vacancy going into the Clausura 2014. After spending 10 years building a steady, moderately successful career with Atlante and Monterrey among other clubs, Herrera raised his profile with his dramatic, passionate title-clinching victory over Cruz Azul on a rainy Mexico City evening last spring.

Following that, a nightmarish five months for El Tri have contrasted with a glowing Apertura 2013 campaign for America, who is now completely entrusted with the responsibility of taking an entire country to the World Cup. America knows that there’s no trophy for that, per se, but a 12th Liga MX championship would definitely round out a roller coaster 2013 for a club that suddenly became synonymous with the national team.