Morelia

 
All of the familiar symptoms were there. Cruz Azul displayed signs of their usual Liguilla weakness throughout their quarterfinal match-up with Morelia. The symptoms just never manifested in to the full-blown sickness.

 
The semifinals are now set. Four teams advance for a chance to capture the Clausura 2013 title. Enough will be written about these teams and their intriguing match-ups in the coming days. Before we move on, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the seasons and the outlooks of the recently departed.

 
The Mexican Liguilla starts tonight. This end-of-the season tournament has historically proven to be anyone’s for the taking. It feels especially true this season as none of these remaining teams could be easily discounted. A case could be made for any of the eight to capture the title, albeit some easier than others. Let’s look at the four quarterfinal match-ups that will play out over the next five days:

(1) Tigres v. (8) Monterrey

Schedule:

Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 (CT), Estadio Tecnologico

 
With barely enough time to digest the conclusion of the regular season, the Liguilla kicks off tonight. Eight teams fight for a chance at claiming a prize that has eluded most for an extended period. Toluca and Monterrey are the only teams in the playoffs that have claimed a title in the last eleven seasons. Hence, there is a great chance that a team in a long title draught will reach the pinnacle this season. Actually, that is exactly what I expect to happen …

#1 Toluca v #8 Chivas

- First leg in Guadalajara: Thursday, 10:00 ET

The Clasico dominated the hype and headlines of the weekend. Surprisingly, it actually lived up to its billing. It was an entertaining match with plenty of back and forth action. This week's Torta Tuesday features a bunch of clips from Snatch and plenty of Chivas. In honor of Guadalajara's victory, I tried to acquire a Torta Ahogada, in true Tapatio style, but all my usual torta spots claimed they didn't have them. Sounds like an Americanista conspiracy to me.

In honor of Tijuana's ascent to the top spot in the table, I went with the Frontera Torta (The Border Torta). As always, the headings are links to movie clips that (sometimes very loosely) allude to an aspect of this past week's results. Buen provecho.

What's happening: Jornada 8 Results and Table:

 
There's an inherent danger in making judgments after one match. Was this one performance reflective of the greater characteristics of the team, or was it just that ... one performance? Chivas fans will likely look to their second half performance today against Toluca as a sign of positive things to come. Chivas detractors will point to their bumbling first half as a sign of their impending failure. Either way, these are just speculation. It's just too early to say.

Now that you are prepared to take the plunge in to Liga MX, you will need to decide on which team to throw your undying support behind. Luckily, I have this all figured out for you.  In the spirit of the Men in Blazers’ NBA to EPL converter, this helpful tool will guide you to your new Mexican squad of destiny.

 
Tuesday, Enrique Meza's tenure with Cruz Azul came to an end. This, his fourth go-round with Cruz Azul, lasted four years. Meza's contract not being renewed came as little surprise. He is only two weeks removed from having garbage hurled at him by the home crowd at Estadio Azul. This is generally not a sign of longevity for a manager. The necessity for this break had become apparent long before the trash chucking.

 
Tuxtla Gutierrez was home to a match of great consequence between the Jaguares of Chiapas and the Monarcas of Morelia yesterday. Chiapas needed a win to give themselves a better chance to secure one of the final playoff spots. A win for Morelia meant less. They had already secured their spot in the postseason. Morelia seemed fully aware of this situation.