Puebla has been considered one of the weakest teams in the Liga MX for several seasons now. There seems to be no manager or players that have been able to lift the team from seemingly fighting for relegation each year.
This season was very grim under manager Rafael Garcia as he led Los Camoteros to only seven points after 10 games in charge. Garcia was dismissed after a 2-1 loss to Atlas in week 11 of the competition and the team has been surging ever since. The experienced Enrique Meza was assigned as Puebla’s manager in week 13 and in four games in charge he has already accumulated seven points, the same as Garcia in 10 games.
The first game under the 69-year-old manager was a 2-2 draw against Queretaro, a goal by Camilo Sanvezzo in the 92nd minute of the game impeded Puebla from coming away with the three points. Then came a slim 1-0 loss against Pachuca but after that La Franja somehow managed to defeat Monterrey 2-0 in the rescheduled week 10 of the competition.
The most recent result for Meza’s men was an impressive 3-0 win against Pumas UNAM at home. “El Ojitos” was missing Bryan Angulo and Lucas Cavallini due to injury, arguably two of his most talented players and started with a lineup that featured 10 Mexican-born players. Only Chivas of Guadalajara had more Mexican-born players in its lineup than Puebla in this week 15 of the tournament. Even more impressive, nine out of the 11 starters were 27-years-old or older and this has been consistent as Puebla has one of the oldest rosters in the league.
La Franja still has a mathematical chance at making the playoffs in this Apertura but it would be highly unlikely with several teams still in the hunt and with only two games left. While hopes of a successful team in Puebla is all but lost in this tournament if the team can make the right signings in the off season there is no telling how well it can do under Enrique Meza.
The Mexican manager has really transformed the team and has deeply impacted the mentality and style of play at the club. The players seem to follow Meza’s precise orders and that has resulted in successful results since his arrival. Los Camoteros are now far from relegation and could finish the Apertura with 21 points, it is exciting to see if this team can turn things around after several years of suffering.
