Mexico. The usual Mexican ‘mess’ with names and franchises… Potros Neza (Nezahualcoyotl) was ‘found’ in 1988 on the ashes of Correcaminos UAT (Ciudad Victoria), according to ‘history’. That is, the new club bought the franchise of Correcaminos UAT. Well, well… the ‘old’ club played in the First Division, but Potros Neza played in the Second Division in its first season. But the ‘extinguished’ Correcaminos UAT still played in the First Division and continued to do so… Meantime Angeles de Puebla disappeared, the franchise bought by another ‘new’ club – Santos Laguna (Torreon), which replaced Angeles de Puebla in First Division. Well… Angeles de Puebla expired allright, but Santos Laguna was not a newly founded club at all – it was well known name for years. Such transformations confuse, along with the problem with proper names – depending on the source, a proper club name or popular nickname nickname is given, but sources tend to mix names – could be one club is given by official name and another by popular nickname in one source and reversed in another. Confusing names, bought and sold franchises, sometimes renaming existing clubs, sometimes just moving at least the name from one city to another… a mess. The championship itself followed well established and understandable formula – a strange formula, but understandable. Every team played against all others twice in the first stage, just in regular league. But there was no league table, except for relegation matter – the league was divided into 4 groups and the top two qualified to the next stage. Old objection to this format is its chancy nature – strong teams could appear together in one group and at least one of them would not go the next stage, when a team with less points, but in weaker group could qualify. But rules are rules.
Second Division. The champion was promoted to the top league and 2 teams were relegated to Third Division. 20 teams participated, but the changes in Second Division were even harder to follow then in the top league, largely because smallish practically unknown clubs played there, some of them with short existence. Thus, the relegated teams this season were Tapatio and Pioneros (Cancun). Pioneros pop up from time to time, although not always under this name and therefore it is difficult to establish continuity of a club representing the city of Cancun. What is really important here is only the league champion, because of promotion.
Looking at the league, Leon was the only familiar name – but this club had hard times for sure: not only reduced to play in the Second Division, but performing badly as well: they did not reach the second stage of the championship, although in a normal league table they should have been 5th. Unfortunately, Leon played in strong group and ended 3rd in it, thus, unable to reach the next stage unlike teams well bellow them on points.
If normal table was the factor, La Piedad would have been champion, or at least qualifying to a final play-off, for they and UA Queretaro finished with 61 points and La Piedad had only better goal-difference. But the championship formula did not allow that – instead, newly formed Potros Neza and Atletico Yucatan reached the championship final: that is, 3rd (Potros Neza) vs 9th (Atletico Yucatan), if normal table existed. The final battle took 3 matches, seemingly played on neutral grounds – in Menda, Mexico City, and Guadalajara. Potros Neza won the first leg of the final (appearing as visitors) 1-0, but Yucatan won the second leg with the same result, also listed as visitors. The third match was all Potros Neza – they won 3-0.
Yucatan lost and remained in Second Divison – the fun with names is present here: in the statistical tables they are Atletico Yucatan. But also Venados Yucatan. Their jerseys name them just Yucatan. Did not earn much points in the first stage, but played very well in the second stage and reached the final. Gave up in the third final match, probably losing steam at the end.
Potros Neza (Nezahualcoyotl) made very impressive start: Second Division champions in their first season of existence and instantly promoted to the top league. Impressive beginning, indeed, but… possible only in Mexico. Anywhere else newly founded club would be in the lowest league at first. And how ‘new’ was the club is debatable as well as the the ‘foundations’ of the franchise – so, let leave complications aside.
Potros Nexa won the championship, was promoted and good luck to them in the top league. Good luck with mere existence too, for they were Mexican franchise-club.
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