Photo Credit: LIGA Bancomer MX
By: Jonny Rico
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The long (very short actually) wait is over. We have accumulated several weeks without any type of Mexican soccer but that is all in the past now. Mexico’s top flight league, LIGA MX returns to action on Friday July 15 with the 2016 Apertura season.
The notorious busy Mexican schedule doesn’t allow its fans to go too long without its soccer fix. It seems that the 2016 Clausura season wasn’t done wrapping up when the Mexican National Team already had the Copa America Centenario on its doorstep. The soul-crushing 7-0 defeat to Chile that knocked out El Tri still hasn’t been processed fully and we get set to kick off another season in LIGA MX.
What can we expect this season?
LIGA MX is well known for its unpredictability and this season it seems to go above and beyond that reputation. The league’s new 10/8 rule aimed at stopping too many foreign players from gaining Mexican citizenship and taking up a non-foreigner slot has shaken the league completely.
The purpose of the rule was so that Mexican players are guaranteed a spot in the teams but the rule was not properly planned and it has backfired on league officials. The rule states that each team must have a minimum of eight Mexican born players and a maximum of 10 foreign players in each 18-man game-day squads. Naturalized Mexican citizens will count towards the 10 foreign player limit.
Before the rule teams had a five foreign player limit and naturalized Mexican citizens had every right a born in Mexico citizen had, Now the clubs have no limit on foreign players. As long as only 10 are included in the game-day squad, teams can have as many foreign players registered. This has allowed clubs to make a number of interesting signing during the summer transfer market. There is now several title contenders based on the strength of each squad.
NOTABLE SUMMER SIGNING:
Edson Puch (Necaxa)
Marcelo Barovero (Necaxa)
Enzo Roco (Cruz Azul)
Renato Ibarra (Club America)
Bruno Valdez (Club America)
Silvio Romero (Club America)
Ismael Sosa (Tigres UANL)
Alfonso Gonzalez (Monterrey)
Jose Juan Vazquez (Chivas Guadalajara)
Marco Bueno (Chivas Gudalajara)
Milton Caraglio (Tijuana Xolos)
Aviles Hurtado (Tijuana Xolos)
Guido Rodriguez (Tijuana Xolos)
Victor Malcorra (Tijuana Xolos)
APERTURA 2016 WEEK 1 SCHEDULE:
*All times Pacific
Tijuana Xolos vs Monarcas Morelia
Friday 7/15 at 7:00 p.m.
TV: Azteca America
Queretaro vs Veracruz
Saturday 7/16 at 3:00 p.m.
TV: Univision Deportes Network
Monterrey vs Puebla
Saturday 7/16 at 5:00 p.m.
TV: Univision / Univision Deportes Network
Atlas vs Toluca
Saturday 7/16 at 5:00 p.m.
TV: Azteca America
Pachuca vs Leon
Saturday 7/16 at 5:06 p.m.
TV: NBC Universo
Club America vs Chiapas FC
Saturday 7/16 at 7:00 p.m.
TV: Univision / Univision Deportes
Necaxa vs Cruz Azul
Saturday 7/16 at 7:00 p.m.
TV: Univision Deportes (*2hr delay)
Pumas UNAM vs Chivas Guadalajara
Sunday 7/17 at 10:00 a.m.
TV: Univision / Univision Deportes
Santos Laguna vs Tigres UANL
Sunday 7/17 at 4:00 p.m.
TV: Univision Deportes
Mexico
MLS
