The Morelia vs Queretaro Liga MX Clausura 2014 match will take place this Friday, January 3, 2014 at the Estadio Morelos in Morelia. Morelia and Queretaro will have the honor of participating in the opening match of the Clausura 2014 season, and both will want to start off the new year on the right foot.
Morelia is coming off a successful Apertura 2013, where they ended the regular season in 6th place, won the Copa MX, and had a brief appearance in the playoffs, losing in the quarterfinals against Leon, the eventual Liga MX champions. Furthermore, due to their successful season (and the complicated way the FMF manages its league), Morelia has earned a spot in this year’s Copa Libertadores.
Morelia’s ownership has decided to support Coach Bustos by strengthening the squad with several acquisitions during the December transfer season. The standout additions to Morelia are Egidio Arevalo, Hector Reynoso, Felipe Baloy, and Duvier Riascos; Morelia has added experienced players to all its lines.
By adding Reynoso and Baloy, Morelia has taken great steps at strengthening their defense, one of the team’s weakest points. Egidio Arevalo, who last played in the Liga MX with Xolos, is a talented defensive midfielder who can break down an opponent’s attacking movements. Finally, Duvier Riascos should add even more power to an already efficient Morelia offense; Riascos is hoping he will do better in a team that plays an offensive style, unlike Pachuca, where he had a forgettable season.
Queretaro is also coming off a successful season, where they surprised the entire league by finishing in 7th place and earning a spot in the playoffs. Although they were easily defeated by Santos in the playoffs, Coach ‘Nacho’ Ambriz should still be proud with what his team accomplished. Queretaro is completely safe from relegation this season, and can thus aim for higher goals.
Unfortunately for Coach Ambriz, Queretaro once again went through a series of squad changes that will surely impact the team’s early season performance. During the December transfer period, Queretaro acquired 11 players, and released 9, team cohesion will definitely be an issue. Furthermore, no star players were brought in, with the possible exception of ‘Hobbit’ Bermudez, who is joining Queretaro after a series of forgettable seasons with Club America.
Morelia vs Queretaro Prediction
The opening match of the Clausura 2014 season features two teams that participated in the previous playoffs, and should thus be fairly exciting. Morelia is set for big things this season, they are expected to do well in the Liga MX, and at least reach the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores. Queretaro will hope Coach Ambriz can once again overachieve with a modest squad, and make a repeat appearance in the playoffs.
Morelia has made some solid additions to the squad, making it one of the best roster in the Liga MX, while Queretaro will certainly be experiencing team cohesion issues. Look for Morelia to take advantage of playing in front of its home squad against a team that is still learning to play together. I predict the Morelia vs Queretaro match will end in a 3-1 victory for Morelia.
Morelia vs Queretaro Television
The Morelia vs Queretaro match will be televised on Azteca America and ESPN Deportes on Friday, January 3, 2014 at 5:30 PM.
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