Liga MX Analysis

Santiago Homenchenko attempted 60 passes against León while Querétaro held only 39% possession. He also attempted 60 against Toluca at 50%. The León total contained 48 opposition-half passes, compared with 44 against Toluca, so a lower share of the ball did not prevent a substantial advanced workload. His importance within Querétaro’s circulation mattered more than the possession percentage alone.

Against Tijuana, a similar 37% possession share produced only 39 passes for him, with the team making 275 passes rather than 354 against León. Homenchenko played 90 minutes in both. This shows why the actual amount of circulation and his role within it need to be checked together. The Toluca comparison also involved an opponent sent off in the 31st minute, so it should not be assumed to represent ordinary equal-number conditions. For the next fixture, a high personal total needs Querétaro to make enough passes and continue directing a large portion through him, particularly beyond halfway.

Julián Carranza’s five recorded Apertura goals came from a penalty, three corner situations and another set piece. His goal at San Luis was a header from a roughly 0.26 xG chance and his only shot of the match. That result shows why a goal can arrive without a large attempt count, but it also makes the source of service important: the scoring record has not been built on repeated open-play finishes.

The blank at Tigres offers a different signal. Carranza had five shots and about 1.68 xG, including a saved penalty and two useful missed open-play chances. That was unconverted opportunity, unlike the Cruz Azul blank, where two shots totalled about 0.06 xG. For the next fixture, assess whether Necaxa can deliver useful corners and set pieces to him, whether he retains penalty responsibility, and whether open-play service is improving. Full minutes help—he completed 90 in each of those three matches—but they do not guarantee the same chance supply. His goals and blanks need to be read through the opportunities that produced them.

Roberto Alvarado attempted 39 passes at Pachuca and 57 at San Luis, playing 90 minutes in both. His opposition-half count stayed at 24; the entire increase came in his own half, from 15 to 33. The higher total therefore did not mean he was receiving more passing opportunities near the opposing goal. It reflected a different distribution of his involvement.

The Juárez game supplied a contrasting high return: 78 passes, including 63 beyond halfway, during a match in which Guadalajara made 726 team passes. That is a much more advanced workload than the San Luis increase. Against América, Alvarado attempted 41 passes with 20 beyond halfway as the team total fell to 422. For the next fixture, distinguish a high passing expectation from a high attacking-output expectation. Deeper involvement can lift his pass count without giving him the same scoring or shooting access. Confirm that he retains a full role, then assess whether Guadalajara’s expected circulation is likely to involve him rather than simply adding passes elsewhere.

Five of Salomón Rondón’s ten recorded Apertura goals were headers, including one in the two-goal draw with Tijuana. That match gave him nine shots and about 1.26 xG, with both goals coming from open-play chances rather than penalties. The supply was substantially stronger than at Atlante, where four shots totalled about 0.20 xG and his goal came from a free kick worth roughly 0.04. Scoring in both matches does not make the underlying opportunity equivalent.

Penalties account for two other goals, against Puebla and Guadalajara, so his responsibility from the spot is another separate route. For the next fixture, the useful questions are whether Pachuca can deliver good aerial opportunities, whether Rondón retains that penalty role, and how long he is likely to play. He completed 90 minutes against Tijuana but played 66 at Atlante and 58 at San Luis, where he took no shot. A matchup that allows useful service into his scoring positions provides a firmer basis than simply extending his run of goals.