By Rafael

This Liguilla hasn’t been short of defensive quality, but let’s be honest, this Liguilla has been pretty bad. Last season’s Quarter-finals alone had more goals scored than in all of this Liguilla thus-far. In fact, the highest scoring team ahead of the final is Club America with only 4 goals. Tigres have just scored a goal this Liguilla and they are in the final, if you don’t count an own-goal. In addition, Tigres haven’t even won a game.

Perhaps it is the lack of a goalscorer? Enner Valencia made his name scoring goals in the Liguilla before his move to West Ham. He scored a total of 6 goals in the Liguilla, and he led Pachuca to the Liga MX final in the 2014 Clausura. In contrast, the regular-season top-scorers this season, Camilo Sanvezzo and Mauro Boselli, didn’t even make it to the playoffs.

Perhaps it is the defensive style from the managers that have dominated this Liguilla. Ex-Leon manager, Gustavo Matosas, never failed to bring a different element to the table. While rumors suggest he is America-bound, that might explain why he is the most sought after manager in the league. Don’t get me wrong, defensive solidity is a very important thing, but in a league where there is a lack of styles, it doesn’t bode very well.

Likewise, there probably won’t be many European teams flocking for Jesus Molina or Jesus Duenas at the end of the season. They have been terrific this season for their respective teams, but they are unlikely to be in the front-covers of every sports journal in Mexico.

Indeed, this brings us to the Liga MX final. Ricardo Ferretti versus Antonio Mohamed, two managers who specialize in neutralizing the opponent rather than imposing their own style. In the season Mr. “Joga Bonito” arrived, it has been anything but pretty. It isn’t the final everybody wanted, but somebody has to win right? At least we can look forward to see what the Clausura 2015 brings.