Two clubs chasing the Clausura Liga MX title will do battle today in a playoff match between Pachuca and Santos Laguna. The quarterfinal clash scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET will be held at the Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca and can be live streamed free through the Univision Deportes mobile app.
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It hasn't been the easiest path for Pachuca in 2014. After returning to the Liguilla for the first time in years, Los Tuzos are approaching peak form in anticipation of lifting their sixth league title. Even Santos Laguna manager Pedro Caixinha is fond of the managerial job done by Enrique Meza (h/t to Goal). "Be very careful with that [not respecting Pachuca]," Meza said.
"They have plenty of titles and you have to have respect for the personnel they have. I have an appreciation for the coaching abilities of [Meza] and the manner in which they play," he added.
"It's not experience that will win the game. If you see our total minutes in the Liguilla compared to Pachuca's, it's superior, but it means nothing. You have to prove it on the pitch and that team is very competitive, focused and determined to move forward."
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Player to Watch: Pachuca's Enner Valencia is single-handedly responsible for Pachuca's surge into the Liguilla semifinals. The 24-year-old scored three of the club's five goals against the Pumas of UNAM and will be hungry to duplicate his performance against Santos Laguna. Momentum in the Liguilla would only solidify his place for the Ecuadorian national team ahead of the World Cup.
Pachuca's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Perez; Arreola, Herrera, Rodriguez, Pizarro; Ayoví, Hernandez, Villalpando; Lozano, Valencia, Damm
Santos Laguna's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Sanchez; Laserda, Alanis, Figueroa, Abella; Escobosa, Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Salinas; Quintero, Peralta
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