A start that shocks and disappoints
Destiny seemed written. The setting, majestic. The University Olympic, a coliseum ready to witness the rebirth. But what happened between those white lines was not an epic, but the first chapter of a tragedy foretold. Efraín Juárez’s Pumas not only let victory slip away, but they buried the hopes of an entire fan base under a slab of doubts.
Against a Querétaro team that many thought was dead before the opening whistle, the Auriazules offered a spectacle of helplessness. The ball, that ball that should be an instrument of glory, became an unbearable weight for feet without ideas, without spark, without soul. Four reinforcements made their official debut, and four ghosts dressed in blue and gold walked across the grass without leaving a trace. Juninho Vieira, Robert Morales, Jordan Carrillo and César Garza: names that resonated in the market with promises of greatness, faded into the nothingness of the real game.
A ray of hope… followed by total darkness
And then, in the deepest stillness, came the flash. In the 49th minute, when anguish began to strangle the stadium, Adalberto ‘Coco’ Carrasquilla emerged as an unexpected hero. His shot, a poisoned arrow deflected by the rival defense, found its way into the net. The goal was a cry of liberation, a collective sigh that filled the stands with excitement. For a fleeting moment, anything was possible.
The Panamanian, along with Keylor Navas, once again proved to be the heart and brain of the team. The lighthouse in the middle of the storm.
But in this dramatic novel, happiness never lasts. The plot demanded a tragic twist. And he arrived dressed in a fatal error. José Caicedo, who had entered the field amidst a shower of boos—a sinister omen—committed the cardinal sin: he lost the ball in the center of the field as if he had delivered it gift-wrapped.
The Gallos Blancos did not need a second invitation. Mateo Coronel (71′) sealed the tie with the coldness of an executioner, extinguishing all dreams and returning a team that was crumbling before the incredulous eyes of its people to the harshest reality.
The final whistle did not bring relief, but confirmation of a bad omen. A draw with a taste of defeat, a backstab in the first round. Possession of the ball was a mirage; having it was of no use without knowing what to do with it. Creativity was conspicuous by its absence and the forcefulness of the last tournament seems like a distant memory.
The last image was devastating: Efraín Juárez and his team leaving the field under a thunderous roar. The message was clear and implacable: patience has run out. The fans no longer tolerate empty promises or hesitant starts. This Clausura 2026 is born marked by the shadow of doubt and the weight of an expectation betrayed in its first act.
Was it just a stumble or the harbinger of a longer fall? Time will tell. But tonight, in Ciudad Universitaria, there was only room for frustration and a question that floats in the air: Where is that team that made you dream?
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