Tigres put the rest of Liga MX on alert Saturday night when they dropped six goals on Puebla at El Volcán to all but lock up a liguilla place. The first ten minutes or so were a bit bumpy, but Tigres turned around a 1-0 deficit by reeling off six straight, including four from Andre-Pierre Gignac. Eduardo Vargas also scored twice. Gignac now has sole leadership of the Golden Boot with 14 goals, two ahead of challenger Julio Furch.
This win is huge for Tigres, who have been floundering about on the edge of the playoff picture for most of the season. They haven’t looked like legitimate contenders to claim their 4th straight Apertura trophy for quite some time, but now Los Felinos finally look dangerous.
The energy really is back and the whole vibe around the league has changed. Tigres looked like a first round exit for certain, but now they must be taken very seriously. Add in the fact that Gignac is heating up just before the playoffs, where he traditionally dominates, and you have a recipe for that 4th straight title.
It won’t be easy, though, nor has the foundation been fully set. There is still one more regular season game to play, and it is extremely important that Tigres win again if they want to hold onto this momentum. A loss to Chivas next Saturday could take the wind right out of the team’s sails.
On the bright side for Tigres, Chivas were recently eliminated from the playoffs and have nothing to play for but their pride. Tigres do need to play a U20 player for 2 minutes to meet the league’s quota on young players, but aside from that small handicap nothing should stop them from winning this game.
Chivas, surprisingly, are significantly worse at home this season than they are away. They’ve managed just four points at home all season, as opposed to 16 on the road. Everything is lined up for Tigres to win again and become one of the favorites to raise the trophy in December.
