Pumas has benefited when it has been the only ‘big team’ in the semifinals

The last time Pumas was in the semifinals, without America, Cruz Azul or Chivas, they won the league championship

The 2021 Apertura will be the fourth in the history of short tournaments that will have Pumas as the only great in the semifinal round. The last time the auriazul team was in the anteroom of the final without the presence of America, Chivas or Blue CrossIt was in the Clausura 2009, when he won the sixth championship of the First Division of Mexican soccer, the same situation that happened in the Apertura 2004, with the two-time championship.

Of the three previous times, in which Pumas was the only one of the greats in the semifinal duels, in two he has been crowned the whole of the UNAM.

The first time that the felines were in the anteroom of the final without the presence of América, Chivas or Cruz Azul, was in the Apertura 2002. However, the Auriazules fell in the semifinal against Morelia with a score of 5-2.

The last two occasions were different for the university students, as they ended up with the cup in their hands. In the Apertura 2004, Pumas passed in the semifinals 6-4 over Atlas and achieved the two-time championship after beating Monterrey in the grand final.

This panorama was repeated again in the Clausura 2009. Pumas benefited from the position in the general table, to send Puebla out in the semifinals after drawing 3-3 on the aggregate scoreboard. Subsequently, the UNAM were crowned after beating Pachuca in the final, in a duel that reached overtime.

It took 12 years for Pumas to be without other greats in the run-up to the grand final, after Chivas, Cruz Azul and América were eliminated in the previous instances.

Chivas and Cruz Azul fell in the playoffs against Puebla and Monterrey, respectively; while Pumas passed over América in the quarterfinals and will now face Atlas in the semifinals.