The pink slip business is booming at Televisa. The owner of three of Mexico’s 1st division teams fired Club America’s coach, Manuel Lapuente, last week. Sunday, Lapuente got some company over at the Blue Lounge as Daniel Brailovsky was relieved of his duties as Necaxa’s coach.
Necaxa, one of Mexico’s oldest clubs, had been releagated a coulple of years ago. Their stay in the lower ranks only last one season, but the formula used to determine which team drops puts an inordinate amount of pressure on the newly promoted squad. Since they have fewer games for the equation, their rate is a lot more volatile. Wins and losses have three times the effect on their rate than other teams because the formula takes into account 3 years worth of results.
Usually I consider coaching changes in the MFL to be mostly hasty decisions, but Necaxa has not won at all this season, much less scored a goal. Brailovsky’s tenure at the team will not be remembered fondly, as the Rayos lost 11 the 15 games when he was at the helm.
The man brought in to work miracles is Sergio Bueno. He is going to need a major one and a miracle to be named later to save the hydro-rayos.
And as the other teams involved continue to separate from the relegation mire, Necaxa’s descent into the lower divisions looks completely inescapable. With 13 games left, Necaxa can assure itself of salvation with 33 points, which is 11 wins.
That is usually what the liguilla’s #1 seed collects.
When most leagues’ champions are decided long before the last game of the year, it’s the relegation battle that can be the most entertaining. But it looks like the opposite will happen in Mexican Futbol.
Let’s say Necaxa somehow manages to match the 16 points they got in the Apertura. Their closest rivals would have to fall apart completely for Necaxa to save their skin. Queretaro (who beat Necaxa over the weekend) would have to accumulate less than 3 points the rest of the year.
Necaxa may be a walking corpse before Spring.