Odds Split on Whether Winless Veracruz Will Win a Match in Liga MX in September
- Longest streak without a victory in soccer history
- Club and team in regular turmoil off the pitch
- Six coaches have come and gone since last success
It is 34 matches since Veracruz of Mexico’s Liga MX last won. This is a world record winless streak in soccer stretching back to July last year.
No fewer than six coaches have attempted to end the run during the past 13 months at one of the most chaotic clubs in a notoriously turbulent league. Yes, six.
Such an unprecedented run of poor form in the Apertura has prompted the analysts to wonder whether the team can end its long sequence without a victory during September.
Odds on Veracruz Winning in September
| Will Tiburones Rojos De Veracruz Win Any Liga MX Games in September? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -115 |
| No | -115 |
*Odds taken at 2019/09/09
With four fixtures to play during the month, the view is split with a price of -115 offered on the prospect that Veracruz will finally win – and -115 also offered on the belief that they won’t end the streak.
Only One Point This Season
The team has managed to secure just one point this season in its opening game against Pachuca.
The club has a hugely controversial owner, Fidel Kuri. The team’s dismal form and the regular turn-over of coaches is attributed by most observers to a pile-up of problems off the field, including several allegations that players and staff have gone unpaid.
It has since lost six straight including that 5-0 reverse against Queratero and 7-0 humbling by Necaxa. It has conceded a total of 22 goals and scored only five.
However, the key to success may lie in the final fixture of September when bottom-placed Veracruz play Toluca, who are currently just one above them in 18th.
Veracruz might finally meet opponents weak enough for them to defeat at the end of the month.
If those league positions remain the same by the time the teams meet on September 30, the game could be a must-win for both clubs in the on-going battle to avoid placing last in the relegation table calculations.
https://twitter.com/footy90com/status/1168051740824002560?s=20
Veracruz might finally meet opponents weak enough for them to defeat at the end of the month. However, the troubles off the field are unlikely to end. So the best value looks to be a bet against the end of the streak.
Currently, Toluca have won only once, drawn twice and lost five times this season.
The latest coach to depart Veracruz was the veteran Enrique Meza, who quit after the 5-0 defeat by Liga MX leaders Querater.
The three prior fixtures in September begin against 11th-placed Cruz Azul on (W2-D4-L2) on Friday, September 13, at 10 pm EST. That is followed by a meeting with 16th-placed Juarez on September 23 (W2-D0-L5). Then comes a date on September 26 with second-placed Santos Laguna (W5-D1-L1) before the clash with Toluca.
The latest coach to depart Veracruz was the veteran Enrique Meza, who quit after the 5-0 defeat by Liga MX leaders Queratero near the end of August after less than three months in charge.
Stand-in Boss Makes No Difference
It made little difference because the next game – under the interim control of former assistant coach Jose Gonzalez – against Morelia was then lost 1-0. This extended the winless run to 34. The veteran Enirque Lopez Zarza has now been appointed as technical director.
The previous world record streak without a victory was held by England’s Derby County who went 32 matches with a victory in the EPL in 2007-08.
Since the last victory by 1-0 against Tijuana against on July 25, 2018, Veracuz have been beaten 26 times and drawn on eight occasions
🚨🚨🚨 Official! Enrique Lopez Zarza is Veracruz’s new head coach. Was in the third division with Tepatitlan. Hasn’t coached a Liga MX team in well over a decade. #LigaMXeng pic.twitter.com/QMYwSWFVxk
— Francisco Velasco (@FranciscoEfV) September 4, 2019
Since the last victory by 1-0 against Tijuana against on July 25, 2018, Veracuz have been beaten 26 times and drawn on eight occasions.
Veracruz were actually relegated from the top division after the Clausura section of the competition earlier this year. But they paid a fee of 120 million pesos to remain in the top flight as the league expanded from 18 to 19 teams.
Pick: No -115
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
