NOTE: The match has restarted after several hours of delay due to rain.
Pumas will face off against Ascenso MX squad Celaya, in their first match of the brand new Copa MX at 8 PM (Eastern) July 25th, at Celaya’s home stadium.
After a tie in their first match in the Liga MX against Atlas, Pumas will look to obtain their first three points in the Copa MX against Celaya, an Ascenso MX team that has been long gone from Mexico’s first division soccer.
Pumas in search of a collective game
Pumas tied against Atlas last Saturday, leaving a bittersweet moment for their fans, as they got to see Emanuel Villa in action but with no results. Martin Bravo scored for Pumas but sadly, Pumas could not hold the score in their favor. Eight minutes before the match ended, Atlas scored due to a mistake by Pikolin, who punched the ball into his own net.
Joaquin Del Olmo bet on maintaining the score as it was (1-0), rather than going for more goals that would secure the win. This was costly and Pumas ended up taking only one point from a rival that on paper would have seem like an easy win.
Against Celaya, Pumas will try to consolidate their collective game, but it is still unclear what lineup Del Olmo will have. The Copa MX is regarded as a lower-tier competition, it is expected that both teams will use subs.
Celaya finally gets a chance to play a match against one of the big teams
Celaya is currently disputing the Ascenso MX, and for a long time this squad hasn’t had the joy of competing against the best teams in Mexico; Copa MX is bringing Celaya this opportunity again. Celaya at one point was a squad that had big names such as Hugo Sanchez, Emilio Butragueño and Miguel “Michel” Gonzalez. It is now a team that keeps playing in the Ascenso MX and hopes to win a championship that will restore them their former glory of first division soccer.
This match is one that might not call the attention of the general media, but it is still an attractive one to see and enjoy. Pumas seems like the stronger team, but nevertheless, smaller teams get big when they face one of the most popular and big teams in Mexico. Both teams are very likely to use their alternate squads, so a Celaya victory is not out of the question.
Television: The game will not be televised in the United States. However, a simple internet search should suffice to find a stream, just google “Celaya vs Pumas Copa MX”.
