First Division. 21 teams, to be reduced to 20, so 2 teams relegated this season. Divided into 4 groups, yet, playing against all league members twice. The teams with least points – relegated. The top 2 teams of every group going to the play-offs. Well, traditionally the English championship was considered the longest and most grueling – consider this: in Mexico, after 40 games in the first stage 8 teams continued to add championship games and the finalists ended with 46 games – or 47, if there was no winner after the two legs. In England – 42 games were played in First and Second Division.
The first stage:
Group 1:
Necaxa – last with 33 points.
Atlante – 4th with 34 points.
Toluca – 3rd with 37 points.
Monterrey was 2nd with 39 points and Tecos – or Universidad Autonoma Guadalajara, or UAG – 1st also with 39 points, but better goal-difference. Both teams qualified to the play-offs.
Group 2.
Leon – last with 32 points. Unfortunately, they finished with the second worst record in the league and were relegated. Champions of 1983, now going down.
Deportivo Neza – 4th with 39 points.
Tampico Madero – 3rd with 41 points. Were they in Group 1, they would be going to the play-off… here – end of the road.
UANL finished 2nd with 44 points and Guadalajara – CD Guadalajara, or Chivas – were group winners with 55 points. They had the best record at the first stage.
Group 3.
Atlas – last with 33 points.
Universidad de Guadalajara – or Leones Negros – 4th with 36 points.
UNAM – or Pumas – 3rd with 40 points.
Puebla, 2nd with 42 points, and Morelia, 1st with 47 points, qualified to the play-offs.
Group 4.
Cobras (Queretaro) – last with 31 points. And since that was the worst record in the league, they were relegated. Not living up to their deadly name, but what can you do?
Angeles (Puebla) – 5th with 34 points.
Irapuato – 4th with 36 points.
Atletico Potosino – 3rd with 42 points.
America, 2nd with 52 points, and Cruz Azul, 1st with 54 points, qualified to the next stage.
The play-offs – or quarter-finals – were live or die, like any cup-format.
Monterrey, the Mexican champions of 1985-86, were eliminated by CD Guadalajara by a goal: 3-3 and 0-1.
America went down by a goal too, losing to Puebla 2-2 and 1-2.
Tecos – or UAG – lost to Cruz Azul, but only after penalty shoot-out: 2-0, 0-2, 2-3 penalty shoot out.
UANL – or Tigres – lost to Morelia 2-3 and 0-2.
In the semifinals
Puebla was eliminated by CD Guadalajara 0-2 and 0-2.
Morelia lost to Cruz Azul 2-0 and 1-4.
Thus, the big final was between the strongest teams all the way from the star of the championship – Cruz Azul (Mexico City) and CD Guadalajara (Guadalajara). The boys from the industrial capital of Jalisco were stronger and made no mistakes – they won both legs: 1-0 and 3-2.
Strong season for Cruz Azul, but second-best.
For outsiders, the squad is fairly anonymous – even those following World Cup could recognized only a handful of names, those playing for the national team of Mexico. But a team consistently strong in such a long season as the Mexican, must be quite good. All together, they won 26 games, tied 14, and lost 6. Scored 75 goals, received 33. In the play-offs they were unbeaten: 5 wins and 1 tie. Scored 12 goal, allowed 5. Very impressive record. Club Deportivo Guadalajara, increasingly becoming officially known as Chivas, won its 9th title. This was their first title since 1970, so they were back with vengeance – and bettered their record as the most successful Mexican club. Cruz Azul stayed 2nd with 7 titles.