Can Hector Mancilla and company defend Toluca's championship trophy in a difficult Group 2?
Toluca
Last season: 3rd overall (8-6-3), Liguilla Champions
Toluca comes into this season carrying the Mexican Primera championship trophy. The weight of that trophy is significant though, as no team has managed to repeat as champions in Mexico for over ten seasons (the last team to win back-to-back titles was Pumas, during the Clausura and Apertura seasons of 2004). Toluca will try to break that streak with a strong team made up of largely the same personnel that won the title last season. Hector Mancilla, one of the best strikers in the league last year, leads Toluca’s potent attack. Mancilla is joined up front by Antonio “Sinha” Naelson and Carlos Esquivel, both great scorers in their own right. Including the playoffs, these three accounted for 22 goals for Toluca during the past season, making them one of the toughest teams in the league for opposing defenses to contain. With such a balanced scoring attack, and with one of the top managers in Mexico – Jose Manuel de la Torre – on the bench, Toluca have the ability to make another great run in the Apertura.
Club America
Last season: 6th overall (7-4-6)
The Bicentenario was a solid season for Club America, especially when taking into account the year’s tragic beginnings. Losing striker Salvador Cabanas to off-the-field violence after just the second game, America still managed to regroup and make a run to the playoffs. With Cabanas continuing to recover from his injuries, America has added two new strikers in hopes of at least somewhat filling the large void in the attack left by his absence. Vicente Vuoso joins the team from Santos Laguna, and Uruguayan striker Vicente Sanchez moves back to Mexico after a stint with Schalke in Germany. Vuoso had a solid season for Santos in the Bicentenario, but was last seen missing horribly on a potential title-winning penalty shot in the finals (maybe the worst penalty miss since Diana Ross). Vuoso must do his best to leave the pain of that miss behind him.
America also look to continue the development of younger players such as 22-year-old Enrique Esqueda and 21-year-old Antonio Lopez. Lopez looked promising in spots last season, his first with the senior squad, starting several games and scoring a hat trick against Queretaro. While the void of Cabanas may never be completely filled, America now have the collective talent on offense to at least come close.
One last possible question mark surrounds goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. Will there be any lingering psychological impact from losing the starting job on the Mexican national team just prior to the opening of the World Cup? America can only hope that Ochoa uses the upcoming season to prove that he is indeed the best goalkeeper in Mexico.
Pachuca
Last season: 8th overall (7-4-6)
Pachuca underachieved through much of last season, but ultimately put together an impressive run to end the year. The team won the CONCACAF Champions League in dramatic fashion, and then managed to qualify for the Liguilla playoffs on the final day of the regular season. Once in the playoffs, Pachuca proceeded to upset overwhelming favorites Monterrey in the first round. The way the team closed the season ended up saving manager Guillermo Rivarola’s job, but he will remain on the hot seat if results don’t come in the Apertura.
American fans have taken notice of two of Pachuca’s offseason acquisitions. Joining Jose Francisco Torres for the upcoming season are Americans Herculez Gomez and Marco Vidal. Last year’s golden boot winner in Mexico, and member of the U.S. World Cup squad, Gomez joins the team from Puebla, while Vidal comes over on loan from the relegated Indios. Gomez and Vidal are just two of the many changes made to the Pachuca team in the offseason. With all of their talent on offense, Pachuca still managed to have problems finishing during much of the past year. Strong play in the midfield was continually nullified by strikers not being able to put the ball in the back of the net. Pachuca has attempted to bolster the attack with 4 new key players joining the side. In addition to Gomez, the other featured additions are Braulio Luna from San Luis, Daniel Arreola from Atlante, and Franco Arizala from Deportes Tolima in Colombia (Arizala being signed for what is said to be the biggest contract in Pachuca history). Pachuca does lose the creativity of Damian Alvarez who signed with Tigres, but the new acquisitions should help improve the team’s scoring output.
Defensive breakdowns also plagued the Tuzos last year, and while the backline remains largely unchanged, at least Mexican national teamer Paul Aguilar looks to be returning (after rumors through the summer of an impending move to Europe). Captain Miguel Calero is also back in goal after being sidelined with a serious infection in his arm at the end of last season. Fully recovered after surgery, the veteran Calero is prepared to lead the Tuzos to a full season of positive results.
Atlas
Last season: 10th overall (7-3-7)
The Bicentenario was a solid yet ultimately disappointing season for Atlas. Playing impressive football for much of the year, the team went into the season’s final weekend still in contention for a playoff spot. A draw against Jaguares in the final game, though, left them outside the Liguilla by the slimmest of margins. Atlas looks to build upon the many positives from last season, this time hoping to make that final push into the postseason during the Apertura.
One player to watch will be Hebert Efrain Alferez, who moved to striker late in the year and showed promise by scoring 2 goals against both Pachuca and Chivas over the final 4 weeks of the season. Alferez will need to pick up more of the scoring load, as veteran Miguel Zepeda, last year’s leading scorer for Atlas, has moved to 2nd division club Leones Negros. Sometime Mexican international Daniel Osorno is another who could also provide support in Zepeda’s absence. One signing of note for Atlas is 19-year-old Colombian midfielder Michael Ortega. Ortega, a promising young player, will likely miss at least the opening weekend due to visa issues, but should be joining Atlas in the coming weeks. Ortega has the potential to be a regular contributor to the Rojinegros by season’s end.
Atlante
Last season: 16th overall (4-4-9)
Atlante seemed to take took a step back last season, losing nine games (only the relegated Indios had more losses) and never being in contention for a postseason spot. The disappointing season led to turnover in the manager position with Rene Isidoro Garcia and Mario Garcia replacing Jose Guadalupe Cruz (who is now with Jaguares). Whether this new “manager by committee” can help improve things on the field remains to be seen.
One bright spot for Atlante last season was the play of Peruvian striker Johan Fano, who ended the year with 10 goals, tying him with Herculez Gomez and Javier Hernandez for the league scoring title. The problem for Atlante was that no other player could offer much in the way of support. Other than Fano, no one else scored more than 2 goals last season. Striker Ulises Mendivil has been signed from Pachuca to help improve the support to Fano, along with Luis Angel Landin from the Houston Dynamo and Edgar Solis from Chivas. Two additional acquisitions from South America, Uruguayan Mathias Cardaccio from Banfield and Argentinian Nicolas Torres from Colon de Santa Fe, further bolster the Atlante offense. On the other side of the ball, the biggest change will be new goalkeeper Moises Munoz who replaces Atlante’s departing captain Federico “El Jefe” Vilar. Munoz started every match for Morelia last season, and will need to improve things for Atlante, who conceded 29 goals last season (tied for 3rd worst in league).
San Luis
Last season: 18th overall (3-5-9)
San Luis, a playoff team in the Apertura 2009 season, managed to finish dead last in the full league table in the Bicentenario (finishing behind even the relegated Indios). With only 3 wins last season, San Luis has no choice but to improve in the Apertura. With a complete overhaul to the roster, San Luis looks to make the disaster of last season a distant memory. The big names of Blas Perez and Braulio Luna have both moved on (to Leon and Pachuca respectively), and a load of new talent has been brought in. American Edgar Castillo has been added to the defense and midfielder Jamie Correa joins the team from Pachuca. Most intriguing, though, may be the several new signings from South America. Striker Wilmer Aguirre joins San Luis from Peru, Ecuadorian midfielder Michael Arroyo transfers from Deportivo Quito, and defender Anibal Matellan makes the move from Argentina. Expect this influx of new personnel to improve results for San Luis in the Apertura, as anywhere close to a repeat of last season’s performance would be entirely unacceptable.
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