If the season ended today, Atlas would be relegated
There are still 27 games ahead, but if the Mexican tournament ended today, Atlas would be relegated. That's how easy and how definitive it is. The Zorros, who started the tournament well, are now involved in a street fight against Veracruz to avoid relegation. The good news is that they still have control over their fate, the bad news is that the Veracruz team looks strong, their reinforcements are working, they know how to play and to top it all off, Lobos BUAP has high goals and the top scorer of the tournament on their team.
The team from Colomos lost in Aguascalientes with a goal from "Piojo" Alvarado, and in Veracruz, the shortest player on the field gave the victory to the Veracruz team. The goal from "Keko" Villalba put the Veracruz team in playoff zone, but also made Atlas suffer and start to worry. The Zorros defeated León in the shoe capital and then won against Pumas, two of the worst teams in the tournament. After that, they lost in the last minute against Toluca in the State of Mexico, and in the same way against América, penalty from Oribe Peralta and another home defeat. Against Cruz Azul, the team coached by "Profe" Cruz played well, but still lost 2-1. They drew against Lobos BUAP in a relegation match midweek, a bad result that felt like a defeat, and now the new loss in Aguascalientes. So far, they have obtained seven points out of the 21 in dispute, but the worst part is that out of the last 15 points, they have only rescued one in a home game against Lobos BUAP coached by Rafael Puente del Río.
Atlas does not have balance. Clifford's absence was more severe than expected. The African player is not able to play until next year and no one has been able to replace him, not Javier Salas, not Luis Robles. Uvaldo Luna has not done a bad job, but the shoes of the former player from Granada in Spain are too big for him. Without Clifford, Atlas is broken, as Facundo Erpen has played well in the defensive zone, despite his own goal. But the key at the moment is that there is no one to link up with Caraglio and Alustiza. "Chavo" and "Gordo" are far from the ball, and when they come down to get it, they have triple marking. The alarms are set off and the numbers are categorical and cold, although in this case, they seem hot.
In 75 matches, Veracruz has accumulated 84 points, giving them a coefficient of 1.1200; while Atlas, in the same number of games, has obtained 83 points, for a total of 1.1067. It is only one point of difference and there are still many games ahead, but considering how Veracruz plays and the free fall of the Zorros, the outlook looks bad for "Profe" Cruz's team.
THE NUMBERS
Veracruz 1.1200
Atlas 1.1067