The FIFA World Cup 2018 is over and leagues around Europe are set to start in a couple of weeks. Meantime, Liga MX, with its 2018 Apertura opener starting last weekend, is the major tournament to begin between the ‘others’ leagues.
Other than some classic topics such as the questions about the pro/rel system – last season relegated Lobos BUAP paid to retain their spot in the top tier whilst Liga MX let us understand that only teams able to meet some entry requirements could gain promotion – or about how to help Mexican players find playing time – a new rule determines that every footballer born in 1997 or later have to be allowed at least 765 minutes of playing time by their club this Apertura. This 2018/19 season should be also mentioned for the youth on the touchline.
In fact, there are three head coaches under 40 in Gerardo Espinoza (36) of Atlas, Rafael Puente Jr (39) of Queretaro, and, above all, Marcelo Michel Leano, who took charge of Necaxa at the tender age of 31.
In a football nation where there has always been a dichotomy between followers of Ricardo La Volpe – Salida Lavolpiana’s father and Manuel Lapuente, these young managers should bring on some fresh, new ideas. On his part, Leano is a disciple of Juan Carlos Osorio, the highly criticized (before the World Cup) Colombian head coach of Mexico National Team.
Running that way
True to be told, Leano’s roots aren’t far from Mexican football: former Guadalajara’s Tecos FC defender Juan Carlos Leano is his cousin whilst his uncle, Juan Antonio, is the owner of the same Tecos. Furthermore, the younger Leano cut his teeth being mentored by the great Johan Cruyff when the Dutchman shortly worked as an adviser to Chivas.
Under Cruyff, Leano learned the Dutch way before building his sides through this path. So, is not unusual that Leano stressed his teams to control the game through ball retention, moving the ball in order to manipulate opposition’s defensive structure. That happened last season, when Leano coached Liga de Ascenso’s Zacatepec to a second-division fourth-place and to a Copa MX semi-final and this seems to happen this term too as observed during the recent Supercopa game between Necaxa and Monterrey.
With both teams looking to dominate the game through ball possession, it was Leano’s team that flourished. When Monterrey started to press higher up the field, Necaxa bravely retained ball control in their own territory just to break up opponent’s pressure, finding space in between their lines. As in Osorio’s tactical approach, Leano – also an admirer of Marcelo Bielsa – wants his side building from the back through a patient first phase of construction.
You cant argue that Leano learned a lot from Bielsas philosophy. Football is order and venture, once Leano told newspaper Record, too much order is boring, too much venture is dangerous& the best football tactical book are football rules: rules tell that if you score a goal more than the opponent, you win the game. You dont win if you dont score. Playing to dont allow goals is playing against the rules.
When out of possession, under the 31-year-old manager, Necaxa build a 4-1-4-1 structure with a high defensive line, looking for central, vertical compactness.
