Home Made

No one knows the next generation of rojinegro players like him. He has already played in a Final in the sub-20 category. His opportunity with the first team has arrived, Gerardo Espinoza has already had the experience of coaching in the First Division, but the challenge is now more important.

The departure of Rubén Omar Romano as Atlas coach opened the doors for Espinoza. 'El Loco' was an assistant to the Argentine in the nine matches he coached in the Clausura 2018. His influence was felt in the Copa MX, a tournament in which they bet on the young players.

For matchday 3 of the championship, Espinoza took over as interim coach to face Toluca. The Zorros fell at the Estadio Jalisco. A couple of doubts were cleared up during this match. José Monroy was not yet ready and Edgar Zaldívar did not take advantage of the opportunity. Both had Gerardo's full trust, he sent them as starters and substituted them at the end of the first half.

The second half of that match saw a fresh Atlas, attacking and putting pressure on Hernán Cristante's team, which is currently in second place in the competition, chasing after Robert Dante Siboldi's Santos, until Rubens Sambueza appeared and sealed the score with a 3-1 victory.

One of the tasks that Gerardo will have to correct is the defense. The team from Guadalajara has the third worst defensive record with 22 goals against. An average of two goals against per match. High for a team fighting to avoid relegation.

The main challenge will precisely be to secure their stay as soon as possible. Losing to Veracruz complicated things in the relegation table, however, there are still eight points difference in the coefficient table. The magic number for salvation is seven points in case the jarochos win all five remaining matches, if not, the saga could end sooner.

Gerardo Espinoza's turn. A good end to the season would give him credits with the board that is already looking for someone to take charge of Atlas for the next semester. The rojinegros are working at full speed and the league break for the FIFA Date will be vital to refresh the atmosphere in the squad.

SRN