LIGA MX
Controversies that have marred Liga MX Apertura 2023
So far in this tournament there have been some circumstances that have led to the loss of points and even rescheduling of matches.
In the 2023 Apertura season, the Liga MX has made decisions that have generated significant discussion since the tournament began, as they have had an impact on some teams’ positions in the standings. We take a look at a few that have stood out.
Querétaro vs América postponed
Due to the poor condition of the pitch at La Corregidora Stadium resulting from a big event held there, and the failure to adhere to protocols at it, the pitch was in subpar condition, to say the least. Consequently, Liga MX invoked the regulations to reschedule the Matchday 2 fixture, which América went on to win 2-1 on 20 September.
Improper line-up by Mazatlán
In the match against Chivas on Matchday 11, Mazatlán committed a violation by fielding Joaquín Esquivel for this encounter, despite him having accumulated five yellow cards. Indeed, the sanctions regulation talks about “a player or member of the technical staff who is suspended for any reason participates in an official match,” however, although the Disciplinary Committee acknowledged that the player should not have been included in this match, as they were not notified of this issue, it was forgiven.
Rescheduling of Monterrey vs Santos
Similar to the situation that occurred during Matchday 2 between Querétaro and América, Liga MX had to reschedule another match, this time from Matchday 10 between Monterrey and Santos Laguna.
This decision stemmed from the poor condition of the Gigante de Acero pitch resulting from a concert held on 26 September. The official statement explained that the playing surface was significantly affected during the dismantling of the stage used for the concert. Consequently, the match will be rescheduled with the date and time yet to be confirmed.
Puebla penalized for improper line-up
In Matchday 7 of the Apertura 2023 season, Puebla had secured a victory against Tijuana and initially claimed the three points. However, these points were subsequently forfeited due to an improper lineup by the coaching staff of the Puebla team.
Luis Miguel Noriega, the U-14 team coach, was present on the bench but was not officially registered to occupy that position. As a result, Tijuana was awarded the three points, which was a significant triumph for them. Details matter, kids!