It's been an uncomfortable two weeks for several Liga MX managers.
Teams have had a full international break to sit and ponder their fate, to do the math and figure out exactly what will be needed. The final weekend begins Friday with first-place Tijuana visiting penultimate-placed Veracruz with the Xolos in search of a point to clinch the No. 1 seed.
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But Miguel Herrera won't be the boss most worried about his team this weekend - far from it. Monterrey's Antonio Mohamed and Leon's Javier Torrente both have their teams outside the top eight, the group that qualifies for the Liguilla, and will be sweating.
Mohamed is under the most pressure by far. Just months after taking Monterrey to its best-ever short tournament performance, Mohamed now faces the possibility of missing the postseason entirely. His team sits 10th, the worst position for any of the five teams still in the running for the three spots left and with 22 points need a win and help to get into the "second season." Monterrey is playing well, staying undefeated in its last five matches. The issue for the Rayados could be the road trip, with the team boasting road wins over only Leon and last-placed Chiapas so far this year. Mohamed's defense was hit with a few injuries and he's struggled to get on the same page with playmaker Edwin Cardona. The Colombian looks set to leave the club in the winter, but he could be influential in getting it to the playoffs with a win.
Of course, the team also needs other results to fall right, and it may need to watch the matches on television Sunday to know its fate, with Liga MX declining to switch its schedule and have simultaneous starts on the last day of regular season play, as many leagues do around the world. Instead, Monterrey will watch with interest as Toluca hosts Santos Laguna in the afternoon fixture and then Puebla welcomes Liguilla-contending Pumas. Pumas have had a quality season under first-year head coach Francisco Palencia but have been abysmal away from the Ciudad Universitaria. Puebla has little to play for, but if the Pumas defense can't perform better than it has, Palencia's first tournament may end without a Liguilla matchup.
The wrinkle that would keep Mohamed and men from waiting is if Necaxa, currently sitting in sixth with 25 points, needs a result against Chivas in Guadalajara. Going on the road to beat Chivas hasn't been easy this campaign, though the newly promoted team has shown its bona fides with organization and discipline throughout the tournament. A draw guarantees Necaxa a spot, but a defeat and a Monterrey win likely would push the Aguascalientes side out of the big party.
The very fact Torrente's Leon side is in the picture shows the remarkable turnaround he's been able to engineer after the team fired Luis Fernando Tena in September. His high-pressing style has lit a fire under the team's capable attackers. Their chances to top Cruz Azul are good, but like Monterrey it won't be entirely in their hands.
One other thing to keep an eye on is the high probability we'll see more Clasicos Nacionales this year. Chivas look locked into the No. 4 seed, and Club America could lock up the No. 5 spot with a result. After the teams' thrilling meeting in the tournament and the Copa MX, two more meetings between the country's biggest teams would be welcomed by most Mexican soccer fans.
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