00:00The reality is when a coach that had gone through the Cantera,
00:03this is the Academy of Pumas, all of his life,
00:07represented Pumas to the highest level.
00:09EfraĆn JuĆ”rez is a legend of the club as a player.
00:12He had a little dark spot by playing with America for a tournament,
00:16but we're going to, you know, forgive him if he gets this championship.
00:20But also, little thing that is known about this coach,
00:24he has been traveling the world, working with some of the best coaches.
00:28He was at championships in Seattle.
00:30He was at championships in Vancouver.
00:32He went to Colombia.
00:34In two tournaments, he won La Copa y La Liga.
00:36He comes to Mexico, and in two tournaments, he gets Pumas in the final.
00:40So we are seeing a coach that, although he is grandiose,
00:44he is, you know, a person that likes the drama, he likes the attention,
00:48he has great sound bites,
00:50he has some of the most entertaining press conferences,
00:53and, you know, even the gestures that some people have, you know,
00:57recriminated him as vulgar.
00:59It's part of this identity, this fight.
01:02And the players are latching onto this spirit,
01:04and they respect him because he has walked the walk.
01:07He has been there in Pumas,
01:09and he has been able to capture and recreate the magic of a championship team.
01:14I'm so excited as a Puma fan.
01:16I was there when they became champions over Chivas,
01:19no pun intended, but the reality is that it's very important for Mexico
01:24that Chivas and Pumas are some of the best teams.
01:27Like, what we see right now is we see Pachuca, Pumas, and Chivas.
01:32Three of the most important producers of players for the Mexican team
01:36in the last 25, 40 years are in the top three, and that's very important.
01:41Cruz Azul, on the other hand, for me,
01:43is the example of a team that is put a billetazos, right?
01:47They have the money to bring some of the best players.
01:49They have probably the best right back on the league,
01:53some of the best creators in the league with Padra Pichino,
01:56some of the best forwards in the league.
01:58Pero la van a Cruz Azul, my friends.
02:00Maybe, maybe not.
02:02Going back to my original point, and I don't say this to knock you,
02:04it's just true.
02:05They have had a harder path in the playoffs
02:08just because they were lower-seeded.
02:09This was a different kind of format, right?
02:11It really mattered where you ended the season strong.
02:13Not to take away anything from Pumas
02:15because they ended the season in first place.
02:16That in itself is a feat.
02:18But has Pumas relied on an easier path in the playoffs?
02:21Are they going to get hit hard?
02:23Are they going to be caught flat-footed?
02:24That's the question.
02:25This is a Cruz Azul with a much deeper squad, if you ask me.
02:28They have a stronger bench.
02:30Pumas has looked tired.
02:31They looked very tired against America.
02:33That worries me if we're looking at Pumas.
02:35And they don't have a player that comes off the bench
02:37to change the narrative, right?
02:38Like, they have...
02:39We saw it on this last game with Pachuca.
02:42But EfraĆn JuĆ”rez didn't do any substitution
02:45until very, very late in the game
02:46because, to be honest,
02:48that 11 is the best 11 that we have right now.
02:50And it might be enough.
02:52Now, just to be fair,
02:54Pumas did not have an easy path.
02:56I think the fact that they faced America,
02:58their number one, Coco.
02:59I mentioned it here.
03:00If they beat America,
03:02if they mentally beat America,
03:03because you saw it at the games.
03:05They were winning our three goals.
03:07The minute America scored a goal on them,
03:10the mentality, they collapsed.
03:11They went afraid again of America
03:13because they always lose against America.
03:15Not no more.
03:16Yeah, but the way that they finished,
03:18they were able to go on aggregate.
03:19They didn't win either, though.
03:20They were able to go on and progress
03:22much easier on aggregate
03:23because of how they were seen.
03:24They were able to go on.
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