León captain Luis Montes played at an MVP level all season long. (Photo by Leopoldo Smith/Getty Images)
Esmeraldas hold No. 1 spot for seventh week in a row
All 12 Liga MX playoff teams were in our top 12 last week, and there was little movement in the final Playing for 90 Power Rankings as we had the teams pegged rather well.
Top-ranked León had its spot sewn up weeks ago and the Pumas were the biggest mover thanks to two late goals from Juan Ignacio Dinenno that boosted them to No. 2 in the Liga MX table. The win was dampened by bad news on the injury front, a factor taken into consideration for these rankings.
León was the class of the league since early September, its offense purring gloriously and backed by a ferocious defense (a league-low 12 goals allowed). It didn’t start out that way.
After three weeks, León was a mediocre 1-1-1 (1 goal scored; 2 goals allowed) then Luis Montes donned a super hero cape (a green one, naturally) and the Esmeraldas have not lost since. “La Fiera” saw out the rest of the Guardianes 2020 season on a 14-game unbeaten run (11-3-0), outscoring their rivals 26-12.
“El Chapo” – the clear-cut MVP favorite – produced 4 goals and 4 assists while guiding a potent attacking offense that specialized in long, probing possessions. Montes was everywhere, carrying out of the back, switching play, dribbling into danger zones, filtering seeing-eye passes to teammates.
The Esmeraldas played at a superior level for three months, their last loss coming on Aug. 8 (2-0 at Cruz Azul). They clinched the No. 1 playoff seed during a 7-game win streak down the stretch before battling to a 2-2 draw at Toluca in a meaningless season finale.
Without further ado, here is the final Playing for 90 Liga MX Power Rankings for the Guardianes 2020 season. As always, the figure in parentheses after the team name indicates the club’s movement with respect to last week’s rankings. Then follows the “win-draw-loss” record and the team’s point total.
1. León (—) 12-4-1, 40 points
The Esmeraldas had clinched the No. 1 seed for the entire playoffs with two games to spare. That didn’t matter to coach Ignacio Ambriz who knows his club’s offense hinges on timing, spacing and a high level of coordination, all of which are best perfected by playing together. So starters played most of the match against Toluca knowing their next competitive match won’t be until Nov. 26.
2. América (—) 9-5-3, 32 points
The Aguilas will benefit from the November FIFA break more than any other Liga MX team. Striker Federico Viñas has just come off the Covid/Reserve list and playmaking midfielder Nico Benedetti could be back soon from minor knee surgery on Oct. 21. Central defenders Emanuel Aguilera and Sebastián Cáceres should be fully fit after nagging injuries curtailed their playing time throughout the season.
3. UNAM (+2) 8-8-1, 32 points
The Pumas lost only once all season (tied with León for fewest losses) and pulled off a late-game comeback to defeat Cruz Azul at Estadio Azteca to claim the No. 2 seed in the Liguilla. But goalie Alfredo Talavera injured himself during warm-ups and team doctors have revealed that the All Liga MX netminder suffered a serious thigh injury. Described as a Grade 3 strain of the pectineus muscle in the upper thigh, “Tala” could miss the entire playoffs. That is a big loss.
4. Monterrey (–1) 8-5-4 29 points
The Rayados opened the Guardianes looking as dismal as their winless Clausura 2020 campaign (0-5-5) but turned things around after a 1-3-1 start. The Striped Gang rediscovered their 2019 championship form, nearly snagging a Top 4 seed thanks to a late 7-2-2 run while also claiming the Copa MX title on Nov. 4. That Cup win means Antonio Mohamed’s team is the current holder of three trophies (Copa MX, Apertura 2019, and 2019 Concacaf Champions League).
our top 12 last week</a>, and there was little movement in the final Playing for 90 Power Rankings as we had the teams pegged rather well.</p>
<p>Top-ranked León had its spot sewn up weeks ago and the Pumas were the biggest mover thanks to two late goals from Juan Ignacio Dinenno that boosted them to No. 2 in the Liga MX table. The win was dampened by bad news on the injury front, a factor taken into consideration for these rankings.</p>
<p>León was the class of the league since early September, its offense purring gloriously and backed by a ferocious defense (a league-low 12 goals allowed). It didn’t start out that way.</p>
<p>After three weeks, León was a mediocre 1-1-1 (1 goal scored; 2 goals allowed) then Luis Montes donned a super hero cape (a green one, naturally) and the Esmeraldas have not lost since. “La Fiera” saw out the rest of the Guardianes 2020 season on a 14-game unbeaten run (11-3-0), outscoring their rivals 26-12.</p>
<p>“El Chapo” – the clear-cut MVP favorite – produced 4 goals and 4 assists while guiding a potent attacking offense that specialized in long, probing possessions. Montes was everywhere, carrying out of the back, switching play, dribbling into danger zones, filtering seeing-eye passes to teammates.</p>
<p><a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"https://www.espn.com.mx/futbol/equipo/resultados/_/id/228/león">The Esmeraldas played at a superior level for three months</a>, their last loss coming on Aug. 8 (2-0 at Cruz Azul). They clinched the No. 1 playoff seed during a 7-game win streak down the stretch before battling to a 2-2 draw at Toluca in a meaningless season finale.</p>
<p>Without further ado, here is the final Playing for 90 Liga MX Power Rankings for the Guardianes 2020 season. As always, the figure in parentheses after the team name indicates the club’s movement with respect to last week’s rankings. Then follows the “win-draw-loss” record and the team’s point total.</p>
<h2>1. León (—) 12-4-1, 40 points</h2>
<p>The Esmeraldas had clinched the No. 1 seed for the entire playoffs with two games to spare. That didn’t matter to coach Ignacio Ambriz who knows his club’s offense hinges on timing, spacing and a high level of coordination, all of which are best perfected by playing together. So starters played most of the match against Toluca knowing their next competitive match won’t be until Nov. 26.</p>
<h2>2. América (—) 9-5-3, 32 points</h2>
<p>The Aguilas will benefit from the November FIFA break more than any other Liga MX team. Striker Federico Viñas has just come off the Covid/Reserve list and playmaking midfielder Nico Benedetti could be back soon from minor knee surgery on Oct. 21. Central defenders Emanuel Aguilera and Sebastián Cáceres should be fully fit after nagging injuries curtailed their playing time throughout the season.</p>
<h2>3. UNAM (+2) 8-8-1, 32 points</h2>
<p>The Pumas lost only once all season (tied with León for fewest losses) and pulled off <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB7R9izqohA%22>a late-game comeback to defeat Cruz Azul at Estadio Azteca</a> to claim the No. 2 seed in the Liguilla. But goalie Alfredo Talavera injured himself during warm-ups and team doctors have revealed that the All Liga MX netminder suffered a serious thigh injury. Described as a Grade 3 strain of <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectineus_muscle">the pectineus muscle</a> in the upper thigh, “Tala” could miss the entire playoffs. That is a big loss.</p>
<h2>4. Monterrey (–1) 8-5-4 29 points</h2>
<p>The Rayados opened the Guardianes looking as dismal as their winless Clausura 2020 campaign (0-5-5) but turned things around after a 1-3-1 start. The Striped Gang rediscovered their 2019 championship form, nearly snagging a Top 4 seed thanks to a late 7-2-2 run while also claiming the Copa MX title on Nov. 4. That Cup win means Antonio Mohamed’s team is the current holder of three trophies (Copa MX, Apertura 2019, and 2019 Concacaf Champions League).</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Nos. 5-9 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-485293" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1284488579-850x560.jpeg" alt="Liga MX final rankings" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">The Tigres hit a bump in the road on the way to a top seed and must now face Toluca in a wildcard match. (Photo by Azael Rodriguez/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>These five clubs have realistic title hopes</h3>
<h2>5. Tigres (–1) 7-7-3, 28 points</h2>
<p>The Tigres appeared to be tracing their recent trend: slow start, then hit stride in midseason and reach the playoffs on the upswing. They were 2-5-2 when they got hot, compiling 5 wins in a row heading into a Matchday 15 home game against lowly FC Juárez. But “Tuca” Ferretti’s gang looked disinterested and it cost them. The Tigres coughed up a late lead and settled for a tie. The next week, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/03/liga-mx-america-throttles-tigres-playoff/">América spanked the Tigres 3-1</a> and then the “felinos” gagged on a late lead at home in their season finale. The late-season stumble saw the Tigres fall out of the Top 4 seeds forcing them to chase a title from a wildcard spot.</p>
<h2>6. Cruz Azul (—) 9-2-6, 29 points</h2>
<p>The Cementeros must use their long layoff to do some soul-searching. “La Máquina Azul” sat atop the Liga MX table after Matchday 11. Since then, they’ve gone 1-1-4 while scoring only 3 goals in those six games. Coach Robert Siboldi tinkered with his line-up freely but could not find a group that clicked on offense. They could face Monterrey or the Tigres in the quarterfinal round, two of the clubs that defeated Cruz Azul down the stretch.</p>
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<h2>7. Santos (—) 7-4-6, 25 points</h2>
<p>After losing team MVP Brian Lozano to a broken leg before the season opener, it took Santos quite a while to figure things out. But they did. The Guerreros went 5-1-1 down the stretch including <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0isQrCqRlz4%22>a 4-0 blowout of Mazatlán</a> in the season finale to steal into the No. 8 seed and earn home-field advantage in their wildcard match vs Pachuca. And now we hear <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"https://www.soyfutbol.com/ligas/Santos-Laguna-Almada-se-muestra-sorprendido-con-la-recuperacion-de-Brian-Lozano-20201008-0062.html">Lozano might be available for the playoffs</a>. Watch out for these guys!</p>
<h2>8. Pachuca (—) 7-4-6, 25 points</h2>
<p>The Tuzos enjoyed a 7-game unbeaten streak late in the Guardianes 2020 season but 5 of those 7 games were draws so they didn’t surge up the Liga MX standings. The streak ended with a 1-0 home loss to Necaxa in the season finale and that allowed Santos to leapfrog Pachuca into 8th place. Pachuca must learn how to put games away or their playoff experience will be brief.</p>
<h2>9. Guadalajara (—) 7-5-5, 26 points</h2>
<p>The Chivas ended their club-record 7-season playoff drought, but they have little else to brag about. An early-season coaching change did not immediately revive Guadalajara after an historically bad run to open the Guardianes 2020 – blanked in its first three games and shut out in 5 of the first 7. Down the stretch, disciplinary issues roiled the locker room and four players were given their walking papers. Hardly the kind of momentum one wants heading into the playoffs.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Necaxa midfielder Alejandro Zendejas is on loan from Guadalajara, the team the Rayos face in a wildcard match. (Photo by VICTOR CRUZ/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>These Liga MX teams best say ‘wait till next year’</h3>
<h2>10. Necaxa (—) 7-3-7 24 points</h2>
<p>Next to the phrase “winning ugly” in the dictionary is a photo of the 2020 Rayos. Necaxa canned coach Alfredo Sosa after 8 games as the club tumbled down the Liga MX table, spending three weeks in the cellar as their losing streak hit 5 games. A tie at league-leading UNAM on Matchday 12 was the turning point as “Los Electricistas” sprinted to the finish on a 5-game win streak. None of those wins was particularly impressive, but “Profe” Cruz has Necaxa playing hard and with purpose. They’ll give the Chivas a tough time in the wildcard match.</p>
<h2>11. Toluca (—) 6-3-8, 21 points</h2>
<p>The Diablos won 4 of their first 6 then hit the skids, going 0-2-4 and plummeting from second place to 10th. Veteran Rubens Sambueza then hoisted Toluca out of the doldrums and the Diablos scratched their way into the playoffs despite a leaky defense (no Liga MX playoff team has conceded as many goals – 28).</p>
<h2>12. Puebla (—) 6-2-9, 20 points</h2>
<p>The Camoteros punched above their weight all season, giving top opponents all they could handle before inevitably coming up short. Puebla’s 9 losses leads all playoff teams and they’ll be a heavy underdog against Monterrey, though coach Juan Reynoso’s club will fight to the end.</p>
<h2>13. FC Juárez (—) 4-7-6, 19 points</h2>
<p><a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/14/dominant-leon-liga-mx-power-rankings/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/11/07/liga-mx-late-goal-frustrates-bravos-playoff-plans/">The Bravos needed a win in their season finale</a> to secure the final Liga MX playoff spot. They scored early and held a 1-0 lead over América as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Then Henry Martín rose above his marker to head home a cross in minute 86 and the dream was shattered.</p>
<h2>14. Atlas (+1) 3-5-9, 14 points</h2>
<p>The Zorros never could rev up their offense as their strike force underperformed. The reliance on Santos cast-offs did not produce a notable improvement and the Orlegi management group (it owns both Santos and Atlas) now faces a budget crisis as Atlas appears headed for a hefty fine in May unless the club puts up points galore during the Clausura 2021.</p>
<h2>15. Mazatlán FC (–1) 4-4-9, 16 points</h2>
<p>Mazatlán began to show some spark after Tomás Boy took over from Francisco Palencia after Matchday 13. The team turned in a dud in the finale after learning their slim hopes of reaching the Liga MX playoffs had been punctured. There is hopeful news on the personnel front, however, as striker Camilo Sanvezzo (team-leading 8 goals) is rethinking his decision to leave the club in December.</p>
<h2>16. Tijuana (—) 4-3-10, 15 points</h2>
<p>The Xolos were a disaster after getting preseason attention as a dark-horse candidate for the title. But the club was hard-hit by Covid-19 and slow to adapt to the tactics of new coach Pablo Guede who might not survive the winter.</p>
<h2>17. Querétaro (—) 3-4-10, 13 points</h2>
<p>The Gallos overachieved despite the league’s most modest payroll and when reality caught up to the “White Roosters” coach Alex Diego was made the scapegoat. Some wags believe ownership has been preparing to sell out the team all along and replace it with another club it owns – Atlante.</p>
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<h2>18. Atlético de San Luis (—) 3-2-12, 11 points</h2>
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