This Saturday, August 19, 2017 (3:00 PM Pacific) Lobos BUAP will host Club America at the Estadio Universitario BUAP for a game in the fifth round of matches in the Liga MX Apertura 2017. Both teams are among the best in the initial stages of this new season and should provide one of the best games in this round of play in the Liga MX.
Lobos BUAP Team News
Lobos BUAP has been one of the best teams in the Apertura 2017 that hardly anybody has been able to watch. The team from Puebla is yet to reach an agreement with a network to broadcast its home games and this will be the third game that will only be available to the people at the Estadio Universitario BUAP this season. Lobos has only played two away games so far and while one was a very impressive 4-0 thrashing against Queretaro, very many people did not see that game either as it was at the same time as the Cruz Azul vs Chivas game that week.
This past weekend several people did witness BUAP’s worst performance of the tournament, a 2-0 loss against Pumas UNAM in Mexico City. The game was a lackluster encounter that lacked excitement, something that had been uncharacteristic of Lobos BUAP matches so far. Of course, a couple of big blows to the team over the past couple of weeks have been the goalkeeper Lucero Alvarez and striker Julian Quiñones.
While Alvarez is still set to miss about 8-10 weeks it is unclear how much longer Quiñones will be out for. The Colombian striker had been having a breakout season with three goals to his name but suffered injuries in an altercation at a bar that kept him out of the game against Pumas UNAM.
Quinones may miss this game which is a tremendous blow to the team as the strike force of Amaury Escoto and Diego Jimenez proved to be ineffective in that loss against Pumas UNAM. The older Quiñones on the team, Luis will really need to step it up in his attacking midfield role to generate scoring opportunities for Lobos BUAP in Julian’s absence. This will be Rafael Puente’s biggest task as a Liga MX manager but the tactician is capable of getting the favorable result, especially playing at home. His 3-5-2 formation has worked wonders for the team so far and his aggressive approach may break this well-structured Miguel Herrera side.
Club America Team News
Club America is currently sitting in second with nine points and only has one loss and three wins to start Miguel Herrera’s second stint in charge of the team. Poor officiating has really been helpful in Las Aguilas’ last two wins but the team has been playing well under “Piojo”. A controversial penalty in the dying minutes of the game gave America the win against Atlas last week and the same goes for its 2-1 win against Pumas UNAM in week 3.
Certain players have been playing much better this season under Miguel Herrera as opposed to under Ricardo La Volpe. Carlos Darwin Quintero has found his way back into the starting 11 and has been creating countless opportunities going forward, being a vital part of the attack. Cecilio Dominguez currently leads the team in the goal scoring department with three goals, while Oribe Peralta is now up to two goals as well. The defense and the midfield have both been very solid, as Club America has only conceded two goals this season.
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What has really helped the team defensively is the brick wall that Miguel Herrera has formed in the midfield with Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez. Agustin Marchesin has also been very solid so far with 11 saves and two clean sheets so far. The Argentine goalkeeper was a vital factor in America’s 1-0 win against Atlas with a penalty save against Milton Caraglio.
The team should only get stronger as Colombian midfielder Mateus Uribe finds his role with the team. Miguel Herrera does have a team that can contend for the title and this could be a solid fourth consecutive win that is definitely attainable. The game will not be easy for Club America but based on the key absences for Lobos BUAP, the Mexico City team is the favorite going into the game.
Lobos vs America Players to Watch
Juan Carlos Medina
The veteran midfielder has been the most surprising player on Lobos BUAP this season, already with two goals under his belt. The 33-year-old has also been one of the leaders in the league in distance covered with 32.60 kilometers covered in this Apertura 2017. Medina has been key for Rafael Puente Jr. both offensively and defensively in that midfield slot and it will be interesting to see what impact he can have against his former team in this match.
Carlos Darwin Quintero
The Colombian forward is resurging in this new season under Miguel Herrera and is going back to the form he once had. Quintero is yet to score and only has one assist so far but may be due for a big game against Lobos BUAP. Given Lobos’ aggressive style, Miguel Herrera may try to hit some counters on Rafael Puente and Quintero’s speed could be crucial on these plays.
Current Form
Lobos BUAP
Loss – Pumas UNAM 2-0 (Away)
Win – Pachuca 3-2 (Home)
Win – Queretaro 4-0 (Away)
Draw – Santos Laguna 2-2 (Home)
Club America
Win – Atlas 1-0 (Away)
Win – Pumas UNAM 2-1 (Home)
Win – Pachuca 2-0 (Away)
Loss – Queretaro 1-0 (Home)
Lobos vs America TV Info
The Lobos BUAP vs Club America match will not be televised this Saturday, August 19, 2017 due to the team from Puebla still without a TV sponsor.
