Thursday, August 30, 2007

On the hot seat

Pumas UNAM had been one of the strongest teams in Mexico about three years ago. Since then, though, they've ranged from fairly mediocre to pretty awful.

When Ricardo "Tuca" Ferreti took over at the start of the Apertura 2006 season, Pumas seemed headed in the right direction. The club reached the playoffs and seemed to have set up a strong base for the future. The Clausura 2007 season, though, didn't go Pumas' way. Sure, the team only lost three games but Pumas did not know how to win as they went 3-3-11 and missed the playoffs.

Five games into this season, Pumas is 0-2-3 and Ferreti's job is in jeopardy. Pumas brass said Ferreti would coach this weekend's game against Jaguares but made no further promises beyond that.

With the short life span that Mexican coaches have, Ferreti is now the front-runner to receive a pink slip. Pumas' problems go beyond the coach, but he will take the fall soon enough. Pumas needs a goal-scorer up front. Paco Palencia's a fine player but he's not going to fill the nets consistently. I'm not sold on Ignacio Scocco and we haven't seen much of Esteban Solari or the other Mexican forwards, Iniguez or Barrera, to make me think that they'll score often.

Pumas still have 12 games to play but this season appears all but over for the Mexico City side.

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