Game 16: San Luis home

Pumas v San Luis
CU
22nd April 2007

Video Highlights - in the crowd

“The same story all year”. The words of Paco Palencia a perfect summing up of this match. We started strongly, were clearly the better team, and yet came away with a draw.

Ailton starting his first game of the season, he showed some flashes, but still looks rusty and overall had an indifferent game. Tuca’s changes were inaccurate, and further underlined how he has seemingly lost his instinct. I thought we had two clear cut penalties turned down, and Archundia had a poor afternoon, although it’s always refreshing to see how he tries to let the game flow.

So we started brightly, and it briefly looked like it would be an enjoyable afternoon, but it turned out to be a frustrating one. Discussion as to when we started to fade, some said after twenty, but I spotted it after about 10, but I have become a connoisseur of how we lose our way. After the first ten minutes we looked like a team that can only draw, even though San Luis did not really offer very much.

Their goal came from nowhere, a nice pass from German well finished by Braulio Luna. This was received by resounding boos, as you would expect for someone who started in the Pumas cantera, and moved directly to America, even if it was nearly ten years ago. We don’t forgive that easily.

This was just 5 minutes from half time, and it revitalised us for the last 5 minutes, and Ailton received a pass in space in the box from Palencia, he tried to mess it up, but managed to slip it through the outrushing goalies legs.

We just did not seem to want to control this game, Leandro looks more positive with Ailton on the pitch, but once he went off, Leandro started to drop deeper again. Ailton had looked OK, but did lose his way, I counted seven consecutive passes from him going badly astray. Tuca timed his replacement correctly, but brought on the wrong man. I think he should have put on Gonzalez instead of Iñiguez here, or even have taken Paco Palencia off. Taking Scocco off for Chupa was wrong all round, that should definitely have been Gonzalez for Paco. Eventually Pareja came off for Gonzalez, allowing Iñiguez to go on the right. But basically, all changes made us look worse. That’s bad management.

All in all a very depressing and frustrating last home game, there was some half-hearted booing at full time, and only a few players came over for a salute, again that was a bit half-hearted.

Unbelievably a series of results have left us with a good chance of direct qualification to the liguilla. All we need to do is beat Tigres next week, and that should do it. However Tuca seems to have completely forgotten how to win, and if we don’t next week, we may see calls for fresh blood at the helm.

Ratings:-
Bernal- 6 – don’t really remember him having anything to do anything

Velarde – 8 – thought he had a good game
Pikolin – 7 – much improved on last week. Fine diving header nearly got the winner, and a remarkable mazy run
Veron – 8 – solid as you like, and good header in the box
Castro – 6 – not quite up to his normal assuredness

Ailton – 6 – well, he did score, and went past a couple of people, but crossing and passing very poor. Had a great chance to score, looked like he was brought down right in front of goal (subbed 57)
Sancho – 7 – tried to impose himself on it more, looked more the enforcer he could be, but ultimately failed to control it as it should have been
Leandro – 7 – good in parts, but also to blame along with Sancho for us not being 100% in charge in the middle – we could and should have been
Pareja – 8 – mom – toss up between him and Veron, good game, full of determination as usual (subbed 83 mins)

Scocco – 6 – flattered to deceive, was in it, and did look menacing, was hacked down in box (subbed 71 mins)
Palencia – 6 – was in it more than Scocco, but too many mis-controls, still not positive enough

Subs:-
Íñiguez – 4 – 57 mins – wholly ineffective
Chupa – 5 – 71 mins – coming back from injury, but just rubbish
Gonzalez – 6 – 83 mins – determined, but not much time. Clearly should have been given more time than the other two subs.

DT:-
Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti – 5 – couldn’t keep his team going and his substitutions completely wrong. He must take the largest share of the blame for our 7 points in last 8 games.

Cards:-
Pumas:-
30 mins – Sancho – foul from behind
44 mins – Pareja – seemed harsh
54 mins – Leandro – he just ran straight into the player, inexplicably

San Luis:-
62 mins – Guerrero
76 mins – Soares
83 mins – Martinez – time wasting
Although carding was pretty good, there were many nasty fouls on Pareja before he finally gave a card to a San Luis player.

Goals:-
0 – 1 – 40 mins – Braulio Luna from a pass by Eduardo German
1 – 1 – 43 mins – a quick break, a nice pass from Palencia, Jose Ailton Da Silva slipped, but had plenty of space and managed to push it home, nutmegging the keeper

Crowd:-
30,000. That’s my guess.

Elsewhere in Mexico:-
Despite 8 minutes being added on Queretaro beat Tigres 2-1, leaving the descenso in their own hands. Remarkably all the results we needed came in, Tigres losing, Santos losing (1-0 v Pachuca, super-lideres), and Morelia losing badly 4-0 away at Tecos. That game had 11 minutes added on. The only other draw of the jornada was the eye-catching Cruz Azul v Toluca fixture, which disappointed and finished nil all. Monterrey beat Jaguares. Chivas, and Omar Bravo, demolished struggling Veracruz 4-0. Atlas and Atlante lost, to Necaxa and America respectively.

Pumas Morelos
Sorry, no information for a while. This week they drew nil all with Leon. This was a home game in which we could have guaranteed a place in the play-offs. Now we go to Santos for the last game of the season, needing a good result, or combination of results. We are in a good position, however, being third in Group B. This game was actually on the telly, so those of you in Mexico keep your eyes peeled next Saturday, we might be able to see it.

Qualification and Descenso:-
Well, with all results coming in for us (except our own), a win at Tigres next week should see us direct into the Liguilla. This seems to me most unjust, but I doubt we will win, so it doesn’t matter. If we win, Morelia will need to win by 4 more goals than we do, and Santos by 2 more than we do, to leap-frog us. Of course, if Santos win but still go down, they cannot enter the Liguilla.

Group 3
1st America 30pts +12GD (25/13)
2nd Tigres 22pts –3GD (16/19)
3rd Pumas 19pts +1GD (18/17)
4th Santos 19pts -1GD (19/20)
5th Morelia 19pts -3GD (21/24)
6th Toluca 16pts -3GD (14/17)

If we do not win it is highly unlikely we will sneak into the repechaje. Already in are Chivas, Cruz Azul, Pachuca and America. San Luis are guaranteed at least the repechaje.

Following their win relegation is in the hands of Queretaro. If they beat Atlas away, they will survive, at Santos’ expense. If they lose they will descend. If the game is a draw, Santos will go down only if they lose at home to Cruz Azul. Next season we are not in trouble of going down.

Next Up:-
Saturday 28th April at 7pm away against Tigres. Very important, literally a must win. I honestly cannot see us doing it now, psychologically we do not know how to win.