Rayados finally answer with a win

The Rayados finally answered the call, responding with a 2-1 victory over Atlante. The match certainly didn't look to be headed in the right direction for Monterrey supporters as Luis Gabriel Rey scored for Atlante in the first minute of the match. However with the work of William Paredes the Rayados got back in the match as he set up Jared Borgetti to level the match just past the half-hour mark and continued his creative influence with Felipe Baloy heading in his cross with six minutes remaining in the half. With the score now 2-1, Monterrey displayed good discipline and fundamentals and were able to hold Atlante off the score-sheet for the remainder of the match.

The victory ends Monterrey's seven match winless streak and their first victory since the August victory over Santos. Tied at fourth in Group 1 with Indios de Ciudad Juárez, with only three teams below them they face América next Sunday with two matches remaining in the Apertura session.

Monterrey
Christian Martínez,Severo Meza,José María Basanta,Felipe Baloy,Diego Ordaz,David Stringel (José Óscar Recio '83),Octavio Valdez ,William Paredes ,Carlos Ochoa (Alejandro Berber '67),Humberto Suazo ,Jared Borgetti (Jesús Eduardo Zavala '64)

Atlante
Federico Vilar,Clemente Ovalle (José Daniel Guerrero '73), Javier David Muñoz ,Gerardo Espinoza ,Andrés Carevic (Ismael Valadéz '75),Mariano Trujillo,Arturo Muñoz (Fernando Herrera '66),Alan Miguel Zamora,Christian Bermúdez,Gabriel Pereyra,Luis Gabriel Rey

Rayados search for respectability

The "talk" around the Rayados camp this week is about re-dedicating to the task at hand and breaking the slide that has seen the once hopeful club turn into one of the worst in La Primera División and sitting sixteenth in the overall table. They are winless in the last seven matches and showing no signs in improved play much less urgency, passion and of-course, pride. As far as cliche-riddled press-conferences, they mean absolutely nothing and as difficult as it to say, Ricardo Lavolpe must gain control of the club that he has clearly lost and deal with the situation and return pride in being a Rayados.

Monterrey has Jesús Arellano and Carlos Ochoa back for Saturday evening's match against Group 1 leader Atlante. José Guadalupe Cruz's club is showing few weaknesses with twenty-three points and yet to lose at home whereas Monterey has one victory for eight away appearances. Severo Meza ,José María Basanta and Felipe Baloy must be at their best against Atlante's attackers, most notably Gabriel Pereyra, Luis Gabriel Rey and Ismael Valadéz. The Rayados need to provide improved service to Carlos Ochoa and Humberto Suazo if they are to succeed and it will also need to be more than constant long-ball efforts as has been seen through the balance of the season.

I will report on the match once it concludes.