It seems like almost every week the Liga MX Clausura 2017 is rewarding fans with a shocking result, last week it was Chiapas defeating Toluca. Well this week the Jaguares have done it again and they defeated current-champions Tigres UANL 1-0 at the Estadio Victor Manuel Reyna. Other key results which heavily influenced the Power Rankings were Tijuana’s 1-0 win over Cruz Azul, Pachuca and Toluca’s 0-0 draw and UNAM’s 3-1 victory over Necaxa. Check out the Week 4 Power Rankings for the Liga MX Clausura 2017:
2 Liga MX Power Rankings Teams #18-10
18. Puebla
The ‘camoteros’ have now not scored in two straight jornadas, and I cannot believe that Ricardo Valino still has his job in Angelopolis. With teams like Chiapas stepping up, we could see Puebla relegate by the end of the season.
17.Queretaro
Manuel Vucetich’s men are still the only team in the Liga MX who are yet to score, again the only thing saving the ‘gallos at this point is Tiago Volpi. The Brazilian goalkeeper has been the only salvageable component from this pitiful team.
16. Necaxa
The ‘rayos are simply not the same without Edson Puch to lead their team going forward. Their backline is also not strong enough to keep on utilizing Alfonso Sosa’s defensive tactics in this Clausura 2017.
15.Monarcas Morelia
Pablo Marini’s destructive nature was showcased in their most recent matchup against Atlas where the team lost 3-1 and it could have been worse if it had not been for Goalkeeper, Carlos Felipe Rodriguez. We could be seeing a good team go down because of the poor decision in hiring a manager like Pablo Marini.
14. Club America
Ricardo La Volpe finally achieved his first win of the Clausura, but that still does not mean that America has really improved. The ‘aguilas’ still looked quite weak in their win against Veracruz by the minimum score of 1-0. Cecilio Dominguez had a decent game with the Mexico City team but nobody will be able to fill the void of Rubens Sambueza within the team.
13. Cruz Azul
Paco Jemez looks like he is finally feeling the pressure of being in charge of a club that has been accustomed to losing in recent times. ‘La Maquina’ have not played bad at all, but it is meaningless when they have not gotten the results.
12. Leon
A draw against ‘rayados’ in Monterrey was not a bad result for the ‘esmeraldas’ at all this week. Javier Torrente looks to be determined, in bringing Leon back into the playoffs this season. They will have a big test at home next week as they will face Club Tijuana.
11. Monterrey
The problem in Monterrey seems to be more phycological than physical as the team have the players to get the results, they just have not been able to get the favorable score lines. With the red card to Edwin Cardona this week that now makes it two red cards in two weeks for the ‘rayados’. Antonio Mohmed needs to inspire his players and get them back into a winning state of mind.
10.Atlas
Atlas look like they will be a force at the Estadio Jalisco once again in this Clausura 2017, coming off a 3-1 victory against Monarcas Morelia. What brings Jose Cruz’s men down in the rankings is that not all their games will be played at home.
1 Liga MX Power Rankings Teams #9-1
9. Veracruz
Veracruz did not look bad at all in their loss against Club America this Saturday. Carlos Reinoso seems to be the perfect coach to have in this relegation battle for the ‘jarochos’. Reinoso combined with players like Leobardo Lopez, Egidio Arevalo Rios and Meliton Hernandez, who will give it all for the club could prove to be a force for jornadas to come.
8. Chivas
The Chivas are slowly climbing to be considered a top contender for the title once again. As of now, however Matias Almeyda and the ‘rebano sagrado’ are not convincing enough to be higher up on this list.
7. Pachuca
The ‘tuzos’ have not looked convincing since their week 1 win against Leon at the Estadio Leon. Diego Alonso’s men also did not look impressive in their last game, a 0-0 draw to Toluca that could have easily gone in the ‘diablos’ favor.
6. Santos Laguna
The real problem with Santos Laguna is the fact that they are yet to face a real test in this Clausura 2017. Their wins so far in this tournament have been against Puebla and Veracruz while they have tied against Monarcas Morelia and a dismantled Tigres team in week 1 of the tournament. ‘Chepo’ De La Torre looks to have established order within the team, but the opponents he has faced have simply not been the best.
5.Chiapas
While Santos Laguna has only faced weak opponents, Chiapas has done the opposite and has faced Pachuca, Toluca and Tigres up to this point of the season. Sergio Bueno’s side have also been very successful getting shocking victories over Toluca and Tigres. The Jaguar seems to be the feline you do not want to come up against in this Clausura 2017.
4. Toluca
Hernan Cristante’s men were clearly the more dominant team in the 0-0 draw against Pachuca. Their huge wins against Atlas and America also still deserve merit in the early stages of this competition. Toluca’s strong roster with experienced players like Rubens Sambueza will lead the club far in this competition.
3.Tigres UANL
You just cannot ignore that 4-2 win that Ricardo Ferretti achieved against Club America which made his club look like they can really contend for the title once again. They have also solidified their squad by adding Chilean forward, Eduardo Vargas to their roster. Expect to see Tigres back in contention going forward into the season.
2. Club Tijuana
The Xolos have been impressive this season earning victories against big sides like Chivas and Cruz Azul. You could argue that Herrera’s men have not been overly impressive, but they have managed to achieve the results.
1. Pumas UNAM
Pumas is the perfect example of what a Liga MX side should be, they have a club legend (Paco Palencia) as their manager, they utilize players that have risen from their youth squads in their starting 11 and they also reinforce themselves with players that can make a difference like Nicolas Castillo. The felines are early contenders to take the title this season and look to be a force to be dealt with.
