Note on Abraham González's Contribution to Universidad Nacional

In early May, Abraham González expressed his regret and bid farewell to Universidad Nacional through an official statement, after spending a year at Pedregal. He said, "I am leaving, but not without thanking the fans for their support in every game. We gave our all on the field." Just a month later, Rodrigo Ares de Parga, the team president, announced the return of the Spanish midfielder with great fanfare during the Transfer Window. This move made sense, as it ensured the team's spine remained strong.

However, up until now, Abraham remains adrift. Although the midfielder had an impressive first semester in Mexico, contributing not only in defense but also in attack, his performance declined in the second tournament. González played in every match of the Clausura 2017, but with lesser impact. He became a complement to the defense and the first step towards offense, but without the expected success. Today, not much has changed, as the '10' hovers between obscurity and uncertainty.

Whether under Francisco Palencia or Sergio Egea, Abraham serves as the team's engine, the experienced player with the most wear and tear within the structure. Surrounded by inexperienced young players and others who have not performed at their best, such as David Cabrera and Marcelo Díaz, González has made it clear that he has not been able to carry the team on his own. "It has been a challenging tournament, but we have confidence that we will recapture positive feelings sooner or later," he revealed.

It is evident that Nicolás Castillo is one of the most decisive forwards in Mexican football, but the Chilean has set a trend, a decline in his performance. In the previous tournament, Castillo scored eight goals, despite missing some matches due to suspension. Moreover, during the middle of the tournament, he suffered injuries and missed the remaining matches, leaving the auriazul attack orphaned. This season has seen similar circumstances, as he has already missed several games, with only seven appearances and five goals to his name.

His absence has posed several dilemmas for the current coach, who has had to improvise, as the team's playing style (usually a 4-3-3 formation) and dependency on their center-forward prevent Pumas from achieving positive results. Instead, Universidad Nacional has had to rely on Joffre Guerrón most of the time, but the Ecuadorian's extremely poor form has not made a difference. It is clear that the team lacks a reference point in attack, a fact reflected in their goal tally of only eight.

In defense, Pumas also suffers from a noticeable absence. Out of the 27 league matches played by Universidad Nacional, Gerardo Alcoba has missed eight. In this semester alone, he has only been able to participate in five games. The situation with the captain is similar to that of Abraham or Nicolás, as he has experienced a significant decline in performance, preventing him from maintaining order in the team's defense. Nevertheless, the team believes that it is possible to reverse the situation.

"In terms of results, it is clear that we are in crisis, but in terms of performance, we are not. If you saw the first half against Toluca, it was very good. Perhaps the mistake was that we retreated due to our recent poor form, but the team showed many positive aspects, had opportunities, and dominated the opposing team," said Abraham in a press conference. "In terms of results, this is a very long crisis. It is inexplicable that we have gone so many matches without a win, but on Sunday, we have to win, no matter what, to turn things around," added the Spanish midfielder.

Lastly, Pumas has also suffered from the lack of speed and power in the attack that Pablo Barrera once provided. The right winger sustained an injury in late April this year. He was a key player in the Apertura 2016, a tournament in which Universidad was one of the strongest teams and reached the playoffs. Unfortunately, his start to this season was not as impactful, and to make matters worse, he ended his participation prematurely. As of now, he has yet to return.