Week 5 of the Liga MX saw Toluca gain another win and maintain its perfect streak. earning them the #1 spot. Leon, America, and Xolos are what we consider to be “second tier” teams after Toluca (you can’t argue against perfection); however, all three have been playing very well so far. Spots 5-8 are fairly equal as well, and the rest of the league is mediocre or just plain bad. Please enjoy our week 5 Liga MX Power Rankings, and don’t fogert to leave comments below!
1. Toluca: Toluca continue their winning streak, and have now won all of the matches they have played so far. Against Pachuca this week, they never looked like losing; Toluca is deservedly #1 in our power rankings.
2. Leon: Leon was the better team at Estadio Azul this weekend, and were very close to coming out with a victory. However, even with a draw, this Leon team finds itself in second place of the standings, and by far the most surprising team of the Liga MX.
3. America: Still undefeated through five games, America finds itself at fourth place in the standings after a dominating win over a very bad Queretaro squad. America will have a tough test next week, when they face Xolos, our #4 team in the power rankings.
4. Xolos: The Tijuana team played an excellent first half to take a two goal lead over an always difficult Tigres. In the second half Xolos played smart and were able to hold the lead for the three points in a 2-1 win. With 10 points out of five games so far (3rd place in standings), Xolos has showed that it can still play well without Egidio Arevalo.
5. Morelia: Monarcas had a convincing 3-0 win over Puebla this weekend, moving them up to fifth place in the standings and in our Liga MX power rankings. One of the five undefeated teams still left in the Liga MX, Morelia will have a very tough time staying in that prestigious group when they visit #2 ranked Leon next week.
6. Cruz Azul: Still undefeated, but without having played spectacular soccer so far. Cruz Azul was lucky to draw Leon at home, and looked bad throughout long period of the match. However, Cruz Azul is still a very solid team that is positioning itself as one of the sure candidates for the playoffs.
7. Pumas: Pumas got a badly needed win against a Santos team that is passing through a bad moment. Pumas is currently 9th in the standings, but is placed 7th in our power rankings due to this week’s victory. Next week they will host Cruz Azul, and will need to win in order to move up the standings and our power rankings.
8. Tigres: UANL faced a tough Xolos squad and lost, making it their third game in a row without a win. Currently in 7th place of the standings, Tigres will host #1 ranked Toluca in a match that could drop them further down the power rankings.
9. Santos: The loss against Pumas was the second defeat in a row, and the third game without a win. Santos is definitely feeling the hangover that many Liga MX champions have the season after. This team is badly in need of a win, and next week they will face a Pachuca squad that is also desperately looking for points.
10. Atlas: Why is an undefeated team so low in our power rankings? Because Atlas simply can’t win! Atlas is back to its old tricks, and has accumulated four draws already, well on its way to breaking last season’s record of eight draws. This week they were unable to defeat a terrible Jaguares side, showing that Atlas does not have a winning mentality.
11. Chivas: They earned the first win of the season due to a late goal against a pretty bad San Luis squad. This has them in 13th place of the standings with five points. We’ve moved them up over teams with more points, because the return of the Olympic gold medalists will undoubtedly help Chivas play better; look for them to get a second week in a row against #13 ranked Monterrey next week.
12. Atlante: La Volpe has done a good job with this limited squad, scraping away points against better opposition. This week they earned an away draw against Monterrey, a squad that has been struggling. Atlante face Atlas next week, a match that simply wreaks of a 0-0 draw.
13. Monterrey: With just one win in five matches, Monterrey has simply been mediocre so far. Next week they will face a Chivas squad that has tasted victory and will want more. I expect Monterrey will not get the win next week, and accumulate three weeks in a row without winning.
14. Pachuca: Hugo Sanchez’ squad lost to a very late goal by #1 ranked Toluca, and finds itself with just five points so far. The addition of so many new players and a new coach has apparently hurt the Tuzos, who can’t seem to find their playing style yet. Next week they will face Santos at home, a must-win game against an opponent who has been struggling.
15. San Luis: Just two points in five games, San Luis has had some good matches, but just can’t seem to play well for a full ninety minutes. This week’s loss against a mediocre Chivas side was disappointing; however, next week they will have a chance at earning points against a very bad Puebla.
16. Jaguares: Finally got its first point of the season against an Atlas squad that specializes in draws. Next week they face Queretaro, if they don’t get a win, expect El Profe Cruz to say goodbye to Chiapas.
17. Puebla: Another week another loss, not much to say about this team…
18. Queretaro: Same as above… Queretaro is simply terrible, and are ranked #1 in our “who’s going to be playing in the Ascenso MX next year” power rankings.
