Following last Sunday’s disappointing draw against Juárez, Pumas interim head coach Andrés Lillini stated that the Mexico City giants “do not celebrate draws”. Yet, their uninspiring showing in a dull 0-0 stalemate at Mazatlán less than a week later suggests that the Argentinean did not take heed of his own words. Los Universitarios are still perched near the top of the table, but is it worth sacrificing a coach’s credibility and a club’s identity for a privileged league position?
The last few years have been challenging for the seven-time champions. They can no longer compete financially with the division’s richest, while the conveyor belt of talent coming out of their legendary academy has dried up.