The Jaguares vs. Cruz Azul 2012 match will be played this Friday, September 28 (8:30 PM EDT) at the Estadio Victor Manuel Reyna. After beginning the season in terrible form, Jaguares has found some balance as they only lost one game of their past five. On the other hand, Cruz Azul has played with a good defense all season long, but an inexistent offense. After nine weeks, they are in 6th place of the regular standings, with a poor seven goals in favor, but only six against.
Jaguares is a team that was not a favorite by any means to win the tournament, but after last season, they had hopes of qualifying as a low seed into the playoffs. After nine games and only eight points, Chiapas is the third worst team in the Liga MX and any hopes for a postseason are dead. However, this team has played well in the past two weeks as they beat first place team Toluca, and tied the reigning champs Santos Laguna 0-0. This is a sign that their defense is playing in top form as opposed to the beginning of the season when they received ten goals in the first three games. Now, they play at home against Cruz Azul who is tied for the 2nd worst offense. In order to obtain a win, Jaguares needs to play with a smart defense as they have the past two games, and more importantly, it needs its offensive threats like Luis Gabriel Rey and Jhon Cordoba to create scoring opportunities.
For a team that has only scored seven goals, Cruz Azul is in a very good position. They are in 6th place, only two points away from 3rd place Monterrey, and a win in Chiapas will put them closer to a much needed playoff position. Cruz Azul has bored all fans with its boring counter-attack system, but that system has worked well for coach Guillermo Vazquez because by only receiving six goals, his team has only lost one game. Against Jaguares they face a team that has not conceded a goal in two matches, but also a team that has had an irregular season. If the ‘cementeros’ put offensive pressure, the three points should not be difficult to gather.
Prediction: Jaguares is in the best form it has been all season long, but that does not mean that the team still has many things to fix; after all, they are currently the 3rd worst team in the league. On the other side, Cruz Azul cannot score many goals, but they have one of the best defenses in the Mexican league, therefore a goal could make the difference in this game. Cruz Azul is the superior team, and this will be shown Friday night. The score will be Cruz Azul 2-1 Jaguares.
Television: The Jaguares vs. Cruz Azul game will be shown this Friday, September 28, 2012 at 8:30 PM EDT on Azteca America and ESPN Deportes.
