There were three things that were certain before Week 17 began. Atlante would be relegated to play in the 2014-15 Ascenso MX (that was settled two weeks ago). Cruz Azul, Toluca, and Pumas UNAM would be in the playoffs. Eleven teams were left to compete for five spots.
Who received their ticket to the Liguilla and who would be left home?
FRIDAY, APRIL 25:
Queretaro 3, Pachuca 4
The action began at La Corregidora in arguably the wildest game of the Clausura. Queretaro stormed out to a 3-0 lead in front of their home fans, before Pachuca scored four unanswered goals in the last sixteen minutes of the match to steal the points.
Ricardo Jesus (45+2'), Camilo Sanvezzo (53') and William da Silva (65') staked the Gallos Blancos to a 3-0 lead, before Pachuca got braces from Enrique Esqueda (75', 88') and Dario Carreño (80', 90').
The win sees Pachuca clinch their ticket to the playoffs, as well as ending a four-game winless streak. A five-game unbeaten streak for Queretaro proved to be not enough (as shown by this result) to make the playoffs. The win by Queretaro also eliminates Monterrey (13th place in Clausura before Week 17) from playoffs qualification.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: Pachuca
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: Queretaro, Monterrey
Tijuana 1, Leon 2
Tijuana had a seemingly easy task--get at least a draw at Estadio Caliente and they were in. After all, Xolos had only lost one match there in all competitions in 2014. Club Leon, looking to overcome the disappointment of being eliminated in Copa Libertadores play in Bolivia, needed a win to have a shot to make the playoffs.
Las Esmeraldas dominated the play throughout the entire match, and got goals from Sebastian Maz (15') and Luis Montes (64') on their way to a 2-1 victory in Tijuana. Christian Pellerano (81') got a goal back for the home side. But it was not enough as the 24,233 in attendance would see the home side lose for the second time in 2014.
Neither team would be able to find out their playoff fate until the end of the round. Xolos would have to dodge a combination of Atlas, Morelia, and Chivas wins (if Chivas were to win by four or more goals) to clinch a playoff berth, while Leon would also have to also dodge a big result by Chiapas.
Leon would lose goalscorer Sebastian Maz during the game due to a torn ACL. The Uruguayan midfielder will be out for the duration of the playoffs if Leon make it there.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: America, Santos Laguna
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: None
SEEDS LOCKED IN: None
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
Cruz Azul 2, Pumas UNAM 1
Cruz Azul rested a number of key players ahead of the playoffs, and still defeated a mostly full-strength Pumas UNAM 2-1. Daniel Ramirez's goal in the 72nd minute gave Pumas an early 1-0 lead. But Rogelio Chavez (78') and Mauro Formica (79') got quick goals for the home side to ensure the victory.
The victory ensures Cruz Azul would be the top seed in the Liguilla while Pumas would have to wait for the result of the Veracruz-Santos Laguna and Toluca-Club America matches to find out their seeds.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: None
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: None
SEEDS LOCKED IN: Cruz Azul (1), Toluca (2) (though Toluca were assured of the #2 seed before the match began)
Veracruz 2, Santos Laguna 2
Santos Laguna could take advantage of Pumas's loss and advance as high as the #3 seed with a win at last place Veracruz. But both sides played out to a 2-2 draw.
Christian Borja opened the scoring for Veracruz in the eighth minute, before Santos Laguna started to dominate the match. Alonso Escoboza would slide home an equalizing goal for Santos Laguna in the 34th minute to take the score to 1-1. Juan Carlos Rodriguez, who assisted on Escoboza's goal, got one of his own in the 61st minute. But Santos Laguna's lead would be short lived as Alfredo Moreno got the final equalizer for Veracruz in the 68th minute.
The result meant that Santos Laguna could not finish higher than the fourth seed, and locked in Pumas UNAM as the Liguilla's third seed.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: None
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: None
SEEDS LOCKED IN: Pumas UNAM (3)
Tigres UANL 2, Atlas 1
The eyes of many sides fell onto the Estadio Universtario as Atlas looked to book its place in the playoffs against a Tigres UANL side that was playing for pride in front of few fans.
Nevertheless, Hugo Ayala opened the scoring in the tenth minute of play for the home side. Although they dominated play for the next many minutes, it would be Atlas, via Jahir Alejandro, that would get an equalizer in the 73rd minute. However, Alan Pulido scored two minutes later to give Tigres a 2-1 lead, and eventually the three points.
The result eliminated Atlas from the playoff chase and saw the Rojinegros failing to win three of their final four matches.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: None
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: Atlas
SEEDS LOCKED IN: None
Chiapas 5, Atlante 2
Los Jaguares needed a huge result at home against an Atlante side that was playing out the match in a 23 season run in Liga MX (assuming Atlante's owners will not try to buy a current Liga MX team and move it to Cancun). Chiapas pounded five goals into Atlante's goal, defeating Los Potros 5-2. Unfortunately the defeat was not lopsided enough fro Chiapas to make it into the playoffs.
Lucas Viatri opened the scoring for Atlas with a natural brace--his first goal coming in the 15th minute, his second coming in the 32nd minute to take Atlas to a temporary 2-0 lead. Atlante's Alberto Garcia would respond with a natural brace of his own, one in the 35th minute and one in the 39th minute, to level the score at 2-2. Javier Muñoz Mustafá restored Atlas's lead in the 42nd minute, and Wilberto Cosme would take that lead to two goals (4-2) in the 45th minute.
Wilberto Cosme would complete his natural brace in the 71st minute, taking Chiapas's lead to 5-2. But the lead would not be large enough for Chiapas to stay in the playoff hunt. The result also guaranteed Atlante a sub-20 point season and the worst goal dfferential in the Clausura this season at -12.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: None
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: Chiapas
SEEDS LOCKED IN: None
SUNDAY, APRIL 27
Puebla 3, Monarcas Morelia 1
Monarcas Morelia had a shot to bypass Xolos and Leon and clinch a spot in Liguilla for themselves with a win. However, Liga MX bottom side Puebla at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc proved to be more difficult than Las Monarcas anticipated.
Goals from Matias Alustiza (27'), Mario de Luna (80'), and Carlos Sanchez (87') gave La Franja a home win to close out their Clausura 2014 campaign with a 4-6-7 mark (ending the season with 18 points). A consolation goal from Oscar Fernandez Monroy (90+1') would not be enough to prevent the away side from being eliminated from playoff contention.
Morelia end their season in 10th place (for the moment) on 21 points (with a 5-6-6 record). Morelia's loss would clinch a playoff berth for Tijuana, who lost earlier in the weekend.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: Tijuana
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: Monarcas Morelia
SEEDS LOCKED IN: None
Toluca 1, America 1
Both America and Toluca had already been assured of their spot in the Liguilla well before the opening whistle, and the Red Devils had even been assured of the #2 seed. Goals by Raul Nava (8') and Andres Rios (78') resulted in both sides playing to a 1-1 draw at the Nemesio Diez.
Toluca, coming off of the Nava goal, dominated the game until a 66th minute red card against Erbin Trejo forced Toluca to play with ten men the rest of the match. From that point on, America would find its footing and a the 78th minute Rios goal.
The draw set up the first matchup of the 2014 Liguilla, with Santos Laguna and America locking into their seeds.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: None
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: None
SEEDS LOCKED IN: Santos Laguna (4), Club America (5)
Chivas 0, Monterrey 1
Chivas were granted the opportunity of a lifetime after all of their strugges--win and make the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Rojiblancos, they would put in a lackluster effort and lose to los Rayados 1-0 on an 84th minute set piece goal from Efrain Juarez.
Chivas barely tested Monterrey keeper Jonathan Orozco in the first half, and only unnerved the Monterrey organization a few times in the entire match. Carlos 'Chelito' Delgado had an opportunity to open the scoring moments before Juarez scored on a long shot that barely missed the target.
Monterrey finish a disappointing 2014 Clausura campaign in 10th place on 23 points and still without a full-time manager. Chivas finish with 21 points in 15th place.
CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH: Leon
ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS: Chivas
SEEDS LOCKED IN: Pachuca (6), Tijuana (7), Leon (8)