Cruz Azul set to sack Nicolás Larcamón | OneFootball

Cruz Azul were one of Mexico’s most in-form teams by February. But recent dip in performance has led people to believe that time is running out for manager Nicolás Larcamón.

Despite an opening day defeat to León, everything seemed to be going perfectly for Cruz Azul. They won five of the next six games, and their only draw was agains the Apertura champs Toluca. After beating the Apertura finalists Tigres, they proceeded to defeat Chivas in Round 7 and jumped to the top of the Clausura table. Four more consecutive wins followed, further cementing their position as leaders. But soon things took an unimaginable turn for the worse.

The turning point

Their trip to the capital to face Pumas ultimately triggered a sudden downturn.

That match finished 2–2, but up until Náthan Silva was shown a second yellow in the 68th minute, Cruz Azul looked strong favorites to take all three points. After all, they were a goal to the good at that stage.

Although the 78th minute equalizer went down as a Willer Ditta own goal, it was former Cruz Azul man Uriel Antuna whose pressure ultimately forced the ball over the line. It was a shocking twist, but at the time the result appeared to be nothing but a minor setback. In reality, it was only the beginning as Máquina’s wheels started to come off.

The sharp decline

No one could have imagined what was to come after Cruz Azul’s draw to Pumas.

Soon after came their exit from the Concacaf Champions Cup, triggered by a 3–0 defeat in California to LAFC. This crushing result was compounded by a loss to surging Pachuca, and a run of six draws against the likes of Tijuana, Mazatlán and Club América.

Cruz Azul was dropping down the table. Heading into the final two fixtures, Azul was aiming to finish the regular season on a positive note ahead of the Liguilla.

Their first stop was a trip to Querétaro on Tuesday. It did not go well, with the game ending 1-1… the fifth time in seven games they’ve been held to that scoreline. It was a real low point.

Cruz Azul to part ways with Nicolás Larcamón

Since the draw with Pumas, La Máquina have failed to win any of their last nine matches in all competitions. As a result, fans and media outlets alike have called for Larcamón to be relieved of his duties.

Cruz Azul’s midweek draw with Los Gallos has only furthered the idea that the Argentine should be let go, despite the incredible early form, which made the club one of the favourites to win the Clausura.

The timing of this decision would be the most surprising factor, considering that the playoffs get underway within a matter of weeks, instability at the top would do more harm than good as the club chases a 10th Liga MX title.

It’s not been officially confirmed that Larcamón has been sacked from Cruz Azul, but reports continue to grow suggesting that the 41-year-old will depart before the final game of the season, which will be against Necaxa at the Estadio Cuautéhmoc this weekend.