By DAN KARELL
Outside of Morelia, no team has been consistently better than Santos Laguna in the last two years of Liga MX
The Torreon-based side has earned at least 27 points in each half-season campaign, with the exception of the 2012 Apertura where they finished on 23 points. As they get their season started on Friday against Clausura playoff finalists Cruz Azul, they’ll try and top those points and rise to the top of the Liga MX coefficient charts.
Santos Laguna have already started the fall on a good note with an opening Copa MX victory, and with Mexico’s defeat at the Gold Cup, forward Javier Orozco could be available to make his club debut. The last time Cruz Azul and Santos met, the match finished with a 3-0 result in La Maquina’s favor.
The weekend’s biggest headliner, Club America vs. Club Tijuana, was postponed until October 1, though Pachuca vs. Tigres and Chiapas vs. Chivas are other matches to keep an eye on.
Here’s a rundown of this weekend’s schedule in Liga MX, complete with TV listings:
LIGA MX SCHEDULE (Apertura Week 2)
FRIDAY
8:30pm – Morelia vs. Toluca – Azteca America/ESPN3
10:30pm – Santos Laguna vs. Cruz Azul – Univision Deportes
SATURDAY
8pm – Monterrey vs. Puebla – UniMas
8pm – Pachuca vs. Tigres UANL – Univision Deportes
8pm – Atlante vs. Veracruz – Univision Deportes 2
10pm – Chiapas vs. Chivas – Univision Deportes
10pm – Atlas vs. Leon – Galavision
SUNDAY
1pm – Pumas UNAM vs. Queretaro – Univision
Oribe Peralta should have been on the gold cup team.