Annual Meeting of Mexican Soccer

This Monday starts the Annual Meeting of Mexican soccer, four days in which the directors of national football will make the decisions that will govern the Liga Mx and Ascenso Mx for the next year. Whatever is defined in terms of regulations these days will be in effect for the Apertura 2017 and Clausura 2018.

Main Announcements

Among the main announcements that will be made in these days, the changes in schedule of some teams like Chivas, Atlas and Morelia will stand out. Also, concerning the competition regulations and seeing if there is any way to incorporate stricter sanctions for stadiums and teams where there is violence. In addition, seeing if there is any novelty regarding refereeing, a topic that was a protagonist in Clausura 2017, both on and off the field.

The Transfer Window

But what draws the most attention to this event is the Transfer Window that will take place on Wednesday. It is there when the teams of the First Division will seek to close negotiations for the players who play in Mexico and who are targeted to strengthen their sports projects.

The law of supply and demand in full swing, negotiations that are simmering slowly, it is about selling and generating resources to go shopping in the national market or to complete and then go to the international stage.

The Big Teams

Chivas, the current champion of the Liga Mx, will arrive in Cancun to look for a couple of players that increase the capacity of their squad. They will encounter the complexities that every six months the prices of Mexican players rise to exorbitant prices for them. El Rebaño is looking for two reinforcements, it is rumored that they are interested in Javier Aquino from Tigres. We will have to see if the tapatíos can convince the felinos and the player himself.

América, with the return of Miguel Herrera as coach, is obliged to build a squad that allows them to return to the playoffs and fight for the championship. Guido Rodríguez (Xolos) and Luis Reyes (Atlas) are the main desires of the azulcrema; regarding the Argentine midfielder, it is said that there has already been some progress, and regarding the Mexican defender, the rojinegros have made it clear that he is not for sale.

Cruz Azul is another team that is obligated to make good purchases. The celestes will be fighting to avoid relegation, which forces them to have quality elements. In his second tournament at the helm of La Máquina, Paco Jémez has the challenge of proving that he is up to the competition. It is said that the cement team would be interested in Raúl Ruidíaz (Morelia), Ismael Sosa (Tigres), Eduardo Vargas (Tigres), and Carlos Fierro (Chivas), among others. We will see how the celeste board operates to give hope to their fans with a solid squad.

Pumas is the other team of the so-called big teams that needs to find elements that can give them a quality leap; the problem for the university team is its budget, it is one of the teams that does not have a large wallet, so Francisco Palencia and Rodrigo Ares de Parga must negotiate successfully to compensate for a team that fell short in the last year.

Teams to Watch

Tigres, Ricardo Ferretti's team, is one of those with the largest squads, which is why it is not ruled out that they may accept negotiations for some of their players who had little activity, in addition to having the economic capacity to secure good elements.

Monterrey is another club that would be closing one of the most interesting negotiations, that of Avilés Hurtado, who was on America's agenda, but it is said that Rayados would offer more money, so Xolos would be willing to let him go.

Toluca, Tijuana, León, Pachuca, are teams that also have in mind to look for a signing that gives them added value to what they already have. Hernán Cristante's team celebrates its Centenary this year, they made it to the semifinals in the previous tournament, so they are looking for an impact signing.

Xolos will have a new coach in the figure of Eduardo Coudet, a man who will experience Mexican football for the first time, but is familiar with it from his time as a player in San Luis and Necaxa. Tijuana will be in the spotlight for what they sell and what they can acquire.

The two teams of Grupo Pachuca were left out of the playoffs, a strong blow both morally and economically, which is why the next tournament looks like a revenge. Javier Torrente and Diego Alonso have the mission of making their teams protagonists again, they have players that are of interest to others, but they will also explore the market to see what helps them increase their potential.

The Bottom Teams

The teams that will fight for relegation arrive just as committed, they more than anyone else must play it safe. Lobos BUAP, the team that recently came up from the second division, will look for players who cushion their base of Mexicans. Morelia will remain in that same zone of stress and must manage their resources well. Ruidíaz is desired by many. Puebla will bet on rookie Rafael García as their coach.