Liga MX Talking Points: Grandes open with ambition, Jemez debuts and more to watch in Round 1

And we're back! It's been less than two weeks since Tigres lifted the Liga MX trophy, and it's already time to talk about the new season. The Clausura begins Friday with Veracruz hosting Queretaro, then picks up a bit with the bigger teams getting into the mix Saturday.

Let's dive right in to the talking points ahead of the opening round:

Cruz Azul fans have, in some respects, moved from the angry stage to the apathetic one. The team is entering its 20th year without a league title and hasn't made the playoffs since the 2014 Clausura — a five-tournament drought. For one match at the Estadio Azul, a Round 14 clash with Puebla, the announced crowd was 9,767. Only last-place Chiapas posted a lower number. 

After seeing hopes dashed that veteran Liga MX manager Tomas Boy was the man to turn things around, the Mexico City side is trying something completely different, bringing in former Rayo and Granada boss Paco Jemez from Spain. It's a new experience for Jemez too, his first time coaching outside his home country.

That's why Saturday's opening match against Necaxa is so important. The Rayos made the postseason last year and are a good side. Cruz Azul, Jemez hopes, is a good team too. He's added Martin Rodriguez formerly of Colo Colo and ex-Emelec winger Angel Mena to help with the attack while former Veracruz man Gabriel Penalba should bulk up a skimpy central midfield.

Plenty of fans should turn up to the stadium in the heart of Mexico City with the excitement of a new year upon them — the team is reporting that the Estadio Azul is sold out. Keeping them coming back will be the challenge. 

"I can't give or promise a Liguilla spot to Cruz Azul fans," Jemez said. "What I am able to promise is work, dedication and that we're going to fight for every point that might be in play because we're looking to get everything possible. But I don't make promise that I might not be able to keep."

Any time two of the league's four "grandes," the biggest clubs historically, meet, it's worth watching. This opening-round contest is extra enticing because both teams are coming off strong seasons in the Apertura. Neither side was able to advance out of the quarterfinal, with Chivas falling to rival America and Pumas getting trounced by eventual champion Tigres in the second leg. But each team made tweaks during the winter and has high hopes of getting back to the Liguilla and making a deeper run this time around.

Chivas, which signs only Mexican players, brought in attacking midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro in from Pachuca and retains its strong defensive unit. Matias Almeyda, Chivas' Argentine coach who has led the turnaround in Guadalajara, also will have a full season of forward Alan Pulido, whose four goals in 10 games were good enough for second on the team after the Mexico international joined midseason.

Pumas let several mainstays go, with winger Fidel Martinez heading to Atlas, forward Eduardo Herrera headed to Veracruz and left back Luis Fuentes off to Monterrey. But coach Francisco "Paco" Palencia is confident that forward Nicolas Castillo, who signed after winning back-to-back titles with Universidad Catolica in Chile, will fit in better with his attacking idea.  

After watching Andre-Pierre Gignac and Tigres score for fun in the quarterfinal, he may be less certain that his veteran center-back pairing of Dario Veron and Gerardo Alcoba will hold up. Chivas, with Pulido, Angel Zaldivar and Javier "La Chofis" Lopez - plus Pizarro - won't be as tough to stop as Tigres, but it should be a lot of fun to watch the battle.

Somehow, multi-club ownership persists in Liga MX, and this tournament starts off pitting brother against brother. To Grupo Pachuca's credit, Leon and Pachuca seem to be able to sustain simultaneous success, something that other teams that share ownership struggle to do.

In fact, these are two of the most fun teams to watch in the league. Pachuca was back in the playoffs after winning the 2016 Clausura and has a young core led by Hirving Lozano. After an abysmal start to the Apertura, Leon brought in Javier Torrente as its manager, and his high-pressing style clicked. Leon charged into the postseason and got past No. 1 seed Tijuana before falling to eventual champion Tigres. 

Sadly, there will be one less fun thing to watch, as Torrente indicated he will stop wearing the same loud floral-print shirt every match this tournament as he did last year. Luckily, the disciple of Marcelo Bielsa has his team playing in an interesting way, something that will make it more than worth keeping an eye on Saturday's family feud.

"No, not at all. I think here we depend on everyone, we all work for this [goal]. The manager wants us to be more vertical in the attack, that's all it is. Nothing more." - Morelia forward Raul Ruidiaz, when asked if he was Monarcas' savior.

Ruidiaz is not Jesus. The Peru forward is perhaps most famous for a bit of unpunished sin, using his hand to help score a goal that knocked Brazil out of the 2016 Copa America Centenario. But there was nothing wrong with the 11 goals he scored — none of them from the penalty spot — as he tied for the Golden Boot last tournament. 

Like Christ, Ruidiaz's legend would be boosted by 12 guys by his side (or at least 10) lending a hand now and then. That didn't happen enough in the Apertura when Morelia nearly made the postseason but saw its defense collapse in the second half of the season as the club missed the Liguilla by six points. The team needs at least a sidekick for Ruidiaz to emerge, if not a full group of apostles, to get points and avoid relegation. Monarcas host Tijuana to start the season.

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