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Mexico City — Unpredictable is a word you can use confidently in regards to Mexico's football league but this weekend we may have to find a new word to describe the goings on.
Mexico is preparing for the World Cup in South Africa. That is the good news. The bad news is the disparity in the rules applying to Mexican players vs European players. World cup players in Mexico have to report to the training camp now whereas Europe-based players report to their respective World Cup teams after their seasons are done. Based on the law of averages the strongest teams in Mexico are going to lose the most players to the training camp and will not be available for the playoffs this weekend. This could give the weaker teams an advantage that fans, who pay good money to watch their star players, are not going to be very happy about.
League play will be interrupted by two continental and regional championships.
The South American Championship, Copa Libertadores, will see five Mexican clubs in action; Chivas, Estudiantes, Monterrey, Morelia and San Luis.
The CONCACAF Champions League has eight quarter-finalists with four from Mexico — Cruz Azul, Pachuca, Pumas, and Toluca.
This weekend the Clausura quarter finals feature Jaguares vs. Cruz Azul, Monterrey vs. Ciudad Juarez, Pachuca vs. Estudiantes, Atlante vs. Queretaro, Chivas vs. Toluca, Puebla vs. Tigres, Pumas vs. Atlas, America vs. San Luis and Santos vs. Morelia.
Pumas is the only team in the past 26 years that has won back to back finals. There have been seven different champions in the past seven years.
America, regarded by many as Mexico's most important team is losing Guillermo Ochoa, Oscar Rojas and Enrique Esqueda to the World Cup Camp.
Chivas and Pumas may lose as many as four players with Cruz Azul possibly losing Gerardo Torrado and Jose Corona.
In anticipation of the loss some teams like Cruz Azul added additional talent in the off-season.
Cruz Azul spent $7 million to bring in Argentines Christian Gimenez (Pachuca) and Maxi Biancucci (Flamengo) and Brazilian Edcarlos Concencicao (Fluminense).
This could make Cruz Azul the favorite but they still have to play the games.
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