Pumas ended their Clausura 2026 season on a high not as they defeated Pachuca by a 2-0 score in a match that temporarily got them in first place of Liga MX. It was a physical match with a lot of fouls and it ended in a scuffle but Pumas was able to prevail over a Pachuca side that went down early. Pumas will now finish at worst in second place of Liga MX before going to the Liguilla, their best position in years. Pachuca will also go to the Liguilla but will now have some key suspended players to deal
with in their Quarterfinals.
The 1st half started with Pumas starting without Guillermo Martinez and Juninho. Uriel Antuna would start up top with Robert Morales which meant that Pumas was going with a more defensive squad and relying on counterattacks. Meanwhile Pachuca would miss out on Enner Valencia, who was out because of suspension. From outside the area, Oussama Idrissi would get off a right footed shot that went wide. Off a corner kick, Pachuca failed to clear the ball which allowed Pumas to get off a second cross that found a wide open Uriel Antuna, who headed the ball past Pachuca’s goalkeeper, Carlos Moreno, to give Pumas the early 1-0 lead. After a foul by Rodrigo Lopez, Brian Garcia would retaliate by straight up kicking him in his genitals, which earned the Pachuca player a straight red card. Down by a 1-0 score and with 10 players, Pachuca suddenly was in a very tough situation. Pumas would have a 2 vs 2 counter attack that ended with Adalberto Carrasquilla scoring but it was clearly offside. Antuna got off a right footed shot from outside the area that Moreno easily saved. Carrasquilla got the ball alone in the area but took too long to get off a shot that when he did, it was deflected wide by a defenders who arrived just in time. From way outside the area, Alexei Dominguez got off a right footed shot that surprised everyone but Pumas’ goalkeeper, Keylor Navas, made a great save. After winning the ball in the area, Jordan Carrillo was brought down an a Penalty Kick was given. Robert Morales stepped up to take the PK and got off a right footed shot past Moreno to score and give Pumas the 2-0 lead. Dominguez got off a right footed in the area that forced Navas to make another save. The match started to get chippy with Pachuca making a couple of harsh fouls. The halftime whistle blew as Pumas took a surprising but deserved lead as Pachuca was imploding.
The 2nd half started with Pumas subbing out Nathan for Antonio Leone. Pachuca subbed out Alexei Dominguez for Alan Bautista. Like in the end of the 1st half, it was very physical with harsh fouls from Pachuca going unpunished. Carrasquilla got off a right footed shot from outside the area that Moreno saved. Pachuca subbed out Oussama Idrissi for Elias Montiel. Off a corner kick, Salomon Rondon accidentally kicked Ruben Duarte in the head and he needed medical attention becuase of it. Pumas subbed out Rodrigo Lopez and Jordan Carrillo for Juninho and Guillermo Martinez. Victor Guzman got off a right footed shot that turned into a cross that Eduardo Bauermann would sent wide on his shot in a terrible miss, as he had an open net chance that he wasted. Guzman got off a right footed shot in the area that forced Navas to make a very good save. Pumas subbed out the injured Alvaro Angulo for Jesus Rivas. Christian Rivera got off a great right footed shot in the area that would hit the post in their best chance of the match so far. Kennedy got off a left footed shot that forced another good save from Navas. Pumas subbed out Robert Morales for Santiago Trigos. A cross into the area was volleyed wide from close range by Guzman. Off a counter, Antuna got off a right footed shot that went well wide. A cross into the area was headed wide by Rondon. Pachuca subbed out Kennedy for Daniel Mendez. A cross into the area was headed wide by Rondon. The referee would go to VAR for a possible PK but he correctly ruled there was no intentional contact. Rondon would later get a Yellow for a slap on Navas. After an incredible harsh kick by Rondon on Navas, he would get a red card and would start a major scuffle between both sides. It would be the last play of the match as it would end with a very violent way, a great example of a very physical match.
Pumas close out their 2026 Clausura season with a three match winning streak that had them jump over all the way to first place for the time and at least a guaranteed 2nd place finish. Pumas had luck in their final two matches as they benefited from a man advantage against both FC Juarez and Pachuca but they played well at times and were deserved especially against Pachuca, were Garcia had made a clear red card foul. Pumas ends with the most points they had in a short season (36 pts), only a single loss and at most a 2nd place finish. It was one of the best seasons and Coach Efrain Juarez did a great job of getting a team with a squad that is far from the best, to be a title contender. On the other hand Pachuca, who also was having a great season, ends in a negative way. Not only do the lose, a loss that might have them drop all the way to fourth place, but they will also miss Salomon Rondon and Brian Garcia because of their red cards. Both teams will await the results of Sunday’s matches before knowing who they will face off in the Liguilla.
