Image Courtesy of Pumas UNAM (Goyo Puma) Official Facebook Page
With the likes of Chivas de Guadalajara and Monterrey having already made coaching changes here in the Liga MX Apertura 2013 tournament, Mexican soccer observers have trained their eyes on speculating who might be the next coach to be fired. The coach many are now speculating as being next in line is Antonio Torres Servin with Pumas UNAM. For Torres Servin, his final game in charge of the university team could be on Monday night against rival Club America in what is a game that is a ‘Clasico‘ for Pumas and its fans.
Through seven games in the Apertura 2013 campaign, Pumas stand 17th in the league standings with four points. While the team started slow with Torres Servin during the Clausura 2013 tournament, the team rallied to finish seventh and lose in the first round of the Clausura 2013 playoffs to America. Off to a slow start once again, it appears that Pumas might not be able to turn it around, and the support team to allow Torres Servin the chance to turn it around is no longer there.
Torres Servin’s main backer used to be Sporting Director Alberto Garcia Aspe, who resigned after a year of what was mistakes in coaching hires and player acquisitions. Once Garcia Aspe was replaced by former Sporting Director Mario Trejo a few weeks ago, many assumed that Torres Servin would be under a must-win-or-be-fired game against Leon. Fortunately for him, Pumas drew that game 1-1 and followed it up with a 1-1 draw against Atlas last weekend. Despite the two successive draws, Torres Servin’s job security is still in question.
Therefore, it is clear that Monday’s game for Torres Servin represents another win-or-lose-your-job scenario for him. While normally games between Pumas and America are heated and feisty where records and playing form of each respective team has not mattered, it is hard to ignore the fact that America, at this moment, are a far superior team than Pumas. Right now, Pumas are in a situation where playing with passion alone might not matter given America’s current form and Pumas’ current form.
In a league which goes through and can spit out coaches because of the two short seasons structure, a run of losses and/or winless streak of games can mean that a coach’s job security is put up for question and under fire. A game against a rival can either mean the end of a coach’s reign with that respective team or breathing space to finish the season.
For Torres Servin, Monday night’s game against America, and the final result, will mean he’s either the next coach fired or he has won himself a reprieve.
Lucas Carreras is a contributing Soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow Lucas on Twitter by following him @maldini3fan and you can add him to your network on Google.
