Last season this home fixture was our worst, showing I think - remember Pikolin "the best player of Pachuca"... we certainly were much better by the time we met them in the quarter-finals, had an excellent 1-1 away, but disappointing at home. Not sure, but it seems Gonzalez is training full time, maybe he will be ready. Don't think Ailton will be. After the scenes at the quarter-final, and the new FMF rules, I think it might be hard to get in wearing my colours, so will go in "confused-gringo-wanting-experiences" mode, should be able to get in then (I had a long long dream last night about Pumas playing City, and me wearing both sets of colours, and not being able to get in with home or away supporters last night...must be on my mind - and off topic, if you are interested you might be able to see my "real" team on telly over here this weekend - we have got Chelsea in the cup Saturday (morning here) - great to see the giants of Carrow Road!!) Anyway, back to this game. Overall we are not looking as assured at the back, and for large periods unable to control the middle, in addition to having all sorts of problems putting together effective ideas for scoring - I say 2-0 to Pachuca. which is a shame. edit:- YES chelsea v Norwich on ESPN2 (la) at 10am sat, live.. NO I have to work....ggrrrrr
Bummer for you Disco. I can't say I am surprised by your prediction. Pachuca hasn't shown much other than a solid 4-0 drubbing vs. Monterrey, but they are due for a win, as Universidad is for a loss. I still stand by my assertion that Veracruz gets relegated. Santos will heat up, and with all the problems the jarochos have in the payroll dept., it is only a matter of time before players start to mail it in, if they haven't already. It is too bad teams can't trade mid-season. Veracruz has some talented individuals, and they need the cash.
Well, to be honest I do think its straight between Queretaro and Santos now - but I'll bung 100 pesos on Veracruz, out of loyalty to Pumas posters..... I just feel we aren't playing well enough to win this one - of course it could come together.... do you not find it odd that it seemed to take the team a few weeks to settle into Tuca's vision last season, and now we are going through that settling period again, with 90% the same players? .. with regard to buying players during the season... well it always used to be 100% open, buy and sell when you want... but it took a lot of time and effort to bring in the transfer windows.... with very good reason... although I'm f*cked if I can remember the reasons right now.... I think its going to be 4-0 to chelsea, and 2-0 to Pumas, and I'll probably get beaten up.... going to be a shit weekend...
well, I was right about 4-0 to chelsea, Chupa in paper today saying that refs are against non-Mexican players, and that he will NEVER get a penalty again in Mexico... Gonzalez and Ailton still out, and just heard, me mate got me tickets... cool
Scoreless draw. I suppose we should be satisfied to get the point since Pachuca came close a number of times. Our offense simply isn't threatening at all.
yeah, I'm pretty happy with the point - decent team, away from home, couple of great saves from Bernal... and overall we were doing much more of what we should be, passing the best I've seen for a while, Leandro looking better, and pretty solid at the back - glad Chispa had a much better game, although still a bit out of position from time to time..... Second half not quite so good, but held on solidly, I agree about up front, seem to be very limted in ideas... ...something none of you jokers told me is how bloody cold it is in Pachuca, I believe it got down to 2 degrees C there, and it felt it... I had taken a jumper, just to cover my colours, if need be, god I wish I had put a lot more on ..... but with beers at 40 pesos a litre, it wasn't so bad, AND, I got a wave out of Pikolin during warm up, and Scocco whilst the subs were warming up just next to us (odd thing, couple of good looking girls in front of us were shouting like mad at one of the subs for a wave... guess which one of the young lads it was?..... well:- RoRo!! he turned and waved to them, and he looked absolutely delighted.... they were hot....)
Satisfied with the point as most of us here but we need to be a threat up front. I was impressed with our defense as they were able to hold on to the draw. We still need to work up front. Unfortunately Tuca feels we need to have Paco and Chupa as starters with Scocco coming in as a sub. I think Scocco should get the starting spot along with Chupa. I just haven't been impressed with Paco other than the wonder goal he scored. "Damn it Dale" I've never been to Pachuca so don't blame me Surprised about Roro getting the ladies. By the way, just how good are your seats?
Pachuca nice interesting town... especially for us English, still able to get Cornish Pasties on every corner, and damn good they were too (in the early 19thC Cornish miners went there to use their mining expertise, it was them that introduced the pasties, and, more importantly for us, football but I guess you all know that), very interesting mining museum. Fascinating shared history between our countries. Seating, well I went to the corner with the Pumas, but they were not serving beer there, so we went round just passed the barriers, where it was a mix of Pumas and Pachuca (all good natured) - but not many people there, I guess they knew the wind gets in there.. ooo it was cold.... so we just a few yards in front of the goal line, alongside it, good view overall though, and great to be right next to the lads warming up.... Funny sort of stadium, they seem to have dug out a hole in a big rocky outcrop and put the stadium inside it, you can hardly see it from outside, enjoyed it though, despite the cold.....
You are making me very jealous it sounds great. Of course you speak of the cold while I am stuck in upstate New York where we have like 3 feet of snow and it was a balmy 7 degrees today. When I woke up this morning to get coffee it was -22 degrees. That was pretty sweet. Well enough of my whining about being stuck in this god forsaken state. Well one more thing there is no soccer/football to speak of up here in the frozen tundra except for what I get on tv. Man am I complaining a lot today or what. Well anyway glad Pumas got the point this weekend. Cheers.
that sounds bad.... wait until sunday afternoon when I am posting about the sunburn I will get watching the match..... I agree leon, but I think Scocco pissed on his chips v Toluca - he came on in the previous game v Jaguares, and looked very fit and very good, so Tuca started him v Toluca, where he did nothing.... ...word is Gonzalez could be fit for Cruz Azul.. wasn't what I was thinking before the season, but what about Gonzalez and Palencia playing up front together... might work, I agree about Palencia, but I do not see him being dropped - and if Ailton is still out, why not play 4-3-3, scocco, palencia, gonzalez? or Chupa if gonz still out... I suppose scocco and paco both like drifting back a little, but it could still work... although we saw at Pachuca how well Leandro and Sancho can play together in the centre... be nice to build on that...
...i am not a fan of any of the two gonzalez, but since all tuca trusts, there is nothing i could do...just hope they score more consistently...to me the two gonzalez and paco palencia look the same as far as goal scoring but palencia is a hustler... ...disco, i am not a big fan of 4-3-3 with pumas but we could try to make it look like that and as you said bring back one of the 3 up front (palencia or scocco) to end with a 4-4-2 at times...
I'd personally like to see a 4-4-2 (diamond as they call it) -------------Bernal--------------- Castro--Picolin---Veron---Velarde--- --------------Sancho------------- ----Parejita---------------Leandro -------------Scocco------------- --------Paco-----------Chupa/Ariel--- Although apparently Scocco is more of a pure striker. Eh, I'll probably be living on the East Coast a few months from now. It can't be all that bad.
I quite like the idea of that formation, and Scocco can certainly play there, but I am not a huge fan of Leandro on the left, I feel we lose a bit by playing him there. What about playing Pareja in the hole, with Scocco and Gonzalez up front? He played there v monterrey last season, it could be quite interesting, Espinosa could probably play on the right, or even push Castro up, and play Esp at right back? all just thoughts, really....
...i like your set up, but sometimes i believe paco could exchange positions with scocco, but in general i like that... ...btw, i am moving to the east cost as well, chicago to be specific...so you are not alone...
...well I would want to see him as a winger...so I guess i would wanting 4-4-2(Leandro and Sancho in middle, and I must say at the moment I am a litrtle confused as to who should be the "2"), but I do believe, within reason, in horses-for-course, so we would need to looking at who we are playing against...
I got accepted into Loyola Chicago. But I'm really looking to go to Boston or NYC. I agree with Dale, hes better suited as a left sided winger. However if we go with what Dale said it would also be more defensive, to Tuca's liking. As most of you may know already I am not a fan of Ailton and like the formation I originally had.
...good luck with school leon... ...i also mosco that about what disco wrote...but definetly we have to play 4-4-2..........
Is there a website that shows Pumas games live? We get no Mexican futbol (not even highlights), not even on espn or fox channels. If anyone knows of a website it would be much appreciated.