Atlas FC: A Different Kind of Fan

The Atlas fan is a different species. Accustomed to good football often before championships. Young generations who have not seen their team lift a Cup and others who have followed, but are governed by a philosophy of play and adhere to the nickname "The Academy of Mexican Football."

And while a large part of the fanbase does not enjoy their football, José Guadalupe Cruz, along with Tomás Boy, is the most profitable coach that Atlas has had in terms of numbers since Grupo Salinas took over the institution, after purchasing it from the previous partners.

The elimination against Chivas last semester caused a rupture between Cruz and the Zorros fans that has not been able to heal to this day, despite the fact that the previous weekend the red-and-black team took revenge and defeated Guadalajara 2-1 in their stadium, to maintain their playoff options.

Tomas Boy's great regular season with the red-and-black team allowed them to qualify for the Copa Libertadores for the first time in many years, however, elimination at the hands of Guadalajara in the Clausura 2015, along with a poor relationship with the fans, led to his departure.

However, they are the only managers in the group who have achieved 19 or more points, since Gustavo Costas and Gustavo Matosas tournaments only reached 14 and 19 points respectively, and the interim tenures of Hugo Castillo and Francisco Ramirez did not achieve much either.

Until the game against Tigres last week, Cruz was the coach with the highest effectiveness that had been in charge of Atlas when considering his five predecessors, as it was around 45 percent with 50 games coached, 18 won, 14 drawn, and 18 lost.

The 'Profe' has had to bear the burden in the relegation battle and has done so in a good way. With 18 games left to determine the new member of the Ascenso MX League, he has established a 12-point difference with Veracruz, the last place in this fight.

In the same 50 games until last week, his red-and-black team scored an average of 1.30 goals, while Tomas Boy, who was in charge for 55 games, averaged 1.13 per match.

Atlas has no choice but to defeat Pachuca next week if they want to make it to the playoffs. A draw would make them dependent on other results to dream of their second consecutive playoff appearance, and likely, that won't be enough for Cruz to reconcile with the fans who have repeatedly called for his departure.

Various factors, including injuries and absences due to special circumstances, have affected the team's ability to work together fully during the last year, and therefore, the performance on the field has not met the expectations of the fans.

GPE