Cruz Azul sets bizarre VAR record in Liga MX after latest red-card controversy
Six rival players have been sent off against Cruz Azul this season following VAR checks, a record-setting streak in Mexican soccer.
Cruz Azul are shaping up as one of the top contenders for the Liga MX Apertura 2025 title. Beyond the team’s depth and the sharp management of head coach Nicolás Larcamón, there’s another factor working in their favor: officiating decisions confirmed by video review that have consistently gone their way.
The latest example came over the weekend in their win over Monterrey, when VAR once again played a decisive role.
Cruz Azul benefit from another key VAR intervention
Midway through the first half, Monterrey’s Óliver Torres lunged into a reckless challenge on José Paradela. The referee initially showed a yellow card, but after a VAR review, the decision was upgraded to a straight red for the Spanish midfielder.
That call marked the sixth time this season that a Cruz Azul opponent has been sent off after video review, the most red cards awarded in favor of any team in a single Liga MX tournament since VAR was introduced in the 2018 Apertura, according to statistics from Ricardo Salazar.
A clear advantage from officiating decisions
Even more striking is how Cruz Azul has capitalized on those moments. Across the five matches where the opposition was reduced to ten men, the team collected 13 of a possible 15 points. The only game they didn’t win under those circumstances came against Querétaro, when both sides had a player sent off.
Here’s the breakdown of those VAR-assisted expulsions:
- Joao Pedro | Atlético San Luis | 1–2
- Ramiro Sordo | Santos | 3–2
- Daniel Aceves and Luis Quiñones | Pachuca | 0–1
- Jhojan Palacios | Querétaro | 2–2
- Óliver Torres | Monterrey | 2–0
The numbers speak for themselves. Whether by design or fortune, Cruz Azul has learned how to turn VAR’s interventions into results, strengthening its case as a true title contender in Liga MX’s Apertura 2025.
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