The Liga MX regular season has now officially finished, leaving six teams knocked out of the running for this season’s championship. For those remaining, the top four in the league table will automatically qualify for the quarterfinal playoff stage, while the next eight best-ranked teams will battle it out in a preliminary single-leg play-in (repechaje) round.
In case you missed the final weekend of the regular season, here’s a quick wrap-up on those invited to the Liguilla, those missing out, and other additional notes from Week 17.
– Liga MX standings | Liga MX coverage on ESPN Deportes
Monterrey, America, Chivas, Toluca clinch byes
Almost as if attempting to silence any worries from two unexpected losses earlier this month, No. 1 seed Monterrey closed out the regular season with a 4-1 thrashing of Pumas last Saturday. Carried by a hat-trick from their leading goalscorer Rogelio Funes Mori, Los Rayados finished with 40 points, the club’s short-season record.
¡¡El #Top4!! 🫡@Rayados, @ClubAmerica, @Chivas y @TolucaFC están ya en #4tosDeFinal
Los mejores 4 del #Clausura2023 🔝#LigaBBVAMX ⚽ pic.twitter.com/yy6QXXushv
— Liga BBVA MX (@LigaBBVAMX) May 1, 2023
How did they do it? Simply put: Improving their attack. Under veteran manager Victor Manuel Vucetich, Monterrey were already defensively solid last season, but were far from imposing when it came to scoring. While maintaining that reliability in defense, they’ve been able to become more deadly in the final third thanks to the efforts of key figures like Funes Mori, German Berterame and Alfonso Gonzalez.
That said, Monterrey fell just one goal short of the league-leading scoring total of 36 from No. 2 seed Club America. Although their 1-0 win over FC Juarez wasn’t an example of America’s high-scoring ways, it ensured an invaluable top four finish.
Speaking of finding the back of the net, credit is also due to Club America’s Henry Martin, whose 14 goals earned him this season’s Liga MX goalscoring title. Once the playoffs ramp up, the 30-year-old Mexican forward will be one of the more prominent players to watch.
Finishing behind Club America on a lower goal differential, No. 3 Chivas made a Monterrey-like statement with a 4-1 victory vs. Mazatlan. No other club had a stronger finish to the Clausura than this Chivas side that is currently on a four-game winning streak.
With No. 4 seed Toluca, can talk plenty about manager Ignacio Ambriz’s heavy-possession style that helped create a 3-0 win on Sunday against Necaxa. Kudos to high-flying winger/wing-back Maximiliano Araujo, but the true X-factor is goalkeeper Tiago Volpi. His shot-stopping alone already makes him one of the best in Liga MX in his position, but what interestingly sets him apart is his attacking impact. He scored on a Paneka in Sunday’s win, his third goal from the penalty spot this season.
