While the recent focus on soccer in Mexico has been fixated on the Mexican National team and their quest toward a World Cup berth, the Liga MX shifted to the back burner due to the unbelievable pressure that was on El Tri to succeed. After Miguel Herrera and the national side were able to earn a World Cup berth after failing to qualify out of the the CONCACAF Hexagonal, Mexican soccer fans everywhere were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief since El Tri will head back to the biggest tournament in the world for the sixth-straight time. Using a complete effort to take down New Zealand in a two-legged playoff, Mexico will now have seven months to prepare for what they hope will be a worthwhile trip to Brazil.
Now that Mexico no longer has to worry about the fate of the beloved national squad, the attention will be placed solely on the approaching Liga MX Playoffs. With the Apertura slate set to begin this weekend, eight of the top teams from the ultra-competitive league will have the opportunity to make their mark as the club of 2013. Perhaps the most intriguing match-up comes in the form of the 4 vs. 5 meeting between No. 4 Cruz Azul and No. 5 Toluca. Cruz Azul - who is looking to capture an Apertura title after falling to Club America in the recent Clausura Finals - hasn't been dominant this season but because of the tremendous balance they possess, La Maquina sits as a team no club looks forward to seeing.
Mariano Pavone and Joao Rojas lead the offensive charge with six goals apiece while Christian Gimenez has provided Cruz Azul with an additional 3 goals in 14 matches played. While the offensive numbers certainly won't pop off the screen, Cruz Azul's strength comes on the defensive end. Jose Corona has started 14 games to this point and while he continues to perform at a high level between the pipes, La Maquina's defensive sets will need to be on point against one of the true premier scorers in the Mexican league.
Toluca striker Pablo Velazquez has been an absolute force all season. Registering 12 goals on 32 shot attempts, the 26-year-old Paraguay native will be easy to spot on the field. Constantly putting himself in scoring situations - much like El Tri star Chicharito - Velazquez has the potential to be a one-man wrecking crew, and he may need to be against Cruz considering the next highest scorer on the team is Raul Nava, who scored 4 goals this season. With his side looking to snap an eight-match losing skid to Cruz Azul, expect Velazquez to be a major focus of the Toluca offense once again.
The 4 vs. 5 playoff between Cruz Azul and Toluca will certainly be worth watching and the opening leg will serve as a great way to jump start what should be an action packed quarterfinal slate.
Cruz Azul vs. Toluca - First Leg: DATE, TIME & TV INFO
DATE: Saturday, November 23
TIME: 6:00pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: Univision Deportes
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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