A Tale of Two Matches: Pachuca Wins, Pumas Loses in Apertura 2025
On this day of contrasting fortunes, Pachuca emerged victorious while Pumas suffered a defeat, marking their positions at the top and bottom of the Liga MX Apertura 2025 standings, respectively.
The Match in Detail
In a match held at CU, Pachuca, known as “Los Tuzos,” defeated Pumas 3-2. This victory, which concluded the second jornada of the ongoing tournament, propelled Pachuca to a shared sub-leadership with Toluca.
Pumas, on the other hand, found themselves at the foot of the table following this loss. The match started with Pumas taking the lead through a goal by their Colombian reinforcement, Álvaro Angulo. However, Pumas’ young goalkeeper, Rodrigo Parra (only 17 years old), made two critical errors that facilitated Pachuca’s comeback.
Alan Bautista capitalized on Parra’s mishap at the 18th minute, equalizing the score to 1-1. Jorge Ruvalcaba then put Pachuca ahead at the 28th minute, but Pumas quickly equalized again just three minutes later due to another error by Parra. Gastón Togni sealed the win for Pachuca with a beautifully placed goal at the 69th minute.
Impact and Relevance
With this win, Pachuca amassed six points, remembering their 3-0 victory over Monterrey in Jornada 1. Pachuca and Toluca are the only teams with a perfect record, each boasting 100% of their points. However, Toluca leads due to having scored seven goals compared to Pachuca’s six, both with a +4 goal difference.
Jaime Lozano, Pachuca’s coach, expressed his satisfaction post-match: “I found a hardworking group with great youth talent. For me, reaching the Club World Cup is not a failure; competing with those teams has great merit.”
Despite a disappointing summer where Pachuca was eliminated in the first round of the Club World Cup with a 3-0 loss record, Lozano has managed to turn things around in the first two jornadas of Liga MX, including their triumph over Pumas.
Efraín Juárez, Pumas’ coach, accepted responsibility for Rodrigo Parra’s performances in the two losses this season. He defended his young goalkeeper, stating, “We understand that games are won and lost in various areas. I am very happy and proud of my 17-year-old boy. Please, let them be; he’s in a development and growth phase.”
Pumas hadn’t started a short tournament with two losses since the Apertura 2009 season under Ricardo ‘Tuca’ Ferretti’s leadership, finishing just one place above the bottom in that campaign.
Juárez dismissed any notion of a crisis, emphasizing his team’s positive aspects: “By a large majority, I loved my team’s performance. This is Pumas, talking about football: a bold team that creates goal-scoring opportunities. I loved my team, and I told the players both at halftime and after the match.”
Upcoming Matches
In Jornada 3, Pumas will face Querétaro away while Pachuca hosts Mazatlán, aiming to distance themselves from Toluca at the top of the table.
Summary of the Jornada
Other results from Jornada 2 of the Apertura 2025 included Cruz Azul’s 3-3 draw against Atlas. Cruz Azul’s Ángel Sepúlveda scored a hat-trick, but his goalkeeper, Kevin Mier, had a tough day, making critical errors that led to Atlas’s goals.
Chivas also failed to secure a win for their new coach, Gabriel Militão, losing 1-0 to León courtesy of a penalty by James Rodríguez. América, Toluca, Necaxa, Monterrey, Mazatlán, Tigres, León, and Pachuca all secured three points in this jornada, which saw a total of 31 goals across nine matches (average of 3.4).
The third jornada will take place between July 25 and 26, serving as a prelude to the commencement of the Leagues Cup 2025 starting on July 29.
Complete Results – Jornada 2 (Apertura 2025)
- América 3-1 Tijuana
- Santos 2-4 Toluca
- Necaxa 3-1 Querétaro
- Atlético de San Luis 0-1 Monterrey
- Mazatlán 2-1 Puebla
- Tigres 1-0 Juárez
- León 1-0 Chivas
- Atlas 3-3 Cruz Azul
- Pumas 2-3 Pachuca
Key Questions and Answers:
- Who won the match between Pachuca and Pumas? Pachuca won 3-2.
- What were the critical errors made by Pumas’ goalkeeper? Rodrigo Parra, Pumas’ 17-year-old goalkeeper, made two significant errors that led to Pachuca’s comeback.
- What are the current standings of Pachuca and Toluca? Both Pachuca and Toluca lead the Liga MX Apertura 2025 with perfect records, six points each.
- What happened in other matches of Jornada 2? Cruz Azul drew 3-3 with Atlas, while Chivas lost 1-0 to León under their new coach, Gabriel Militão.
