The regular season wraps up with a full slate of games and three playoff spots still up for grabs.
Week 17 is chock-full of interesting matches that will go a long way in deciding who's in the postseason and what the different matchups will be going into the quarterfinals.
While first and second place are already decided, América, Santos and San Luis all have a crack at third. Sixth, seventh and eighth still have not been decided, and there are more than a handful of teams vying for the final three spots.
A derby will also grace fans' television screens, as América face a desperate Pumas team needing to win in order to get into the playoffs and have a chance at the title.
It's life or death for Necaxa and Pachuca as they face-off in a match with very different implications for each squad.
With a win to close out their dismal first season after promotion, Necaxa will assure itself of not being last in the relegation table going into the Clausura 2011.
With 22 points in 16 games, Pachuca, sitting in eighth place within the league table, can assure itself of obtaining one of the remaining three playoff spots with a win at the Estadio Victoria.
Surely Pablo Marini's squad are licking their chops at the opportunity, as Necaxa are the worst home team in the Apertura 2010. With two wins in eight matches, the performance at their home stadium is a large reason why the red-and-whites will sit the playoffs out.
Two teams already thinking about the postseason face off in Mexico City in a match that is but a mere formality for league leaders Cruz Azul and an opportunity for San Luis to scale places for a better matchup in the playoffs.
In sixteen games, Cruz Azul have obtained 36 points of the total 48 up for the grabs. With a goal difference of +19, the Blues boast the best plus/minus in the league. Their 32 goals also place them as the league's most potent offense.
San Luis' 26 points mean that they could overtake Santos and América with a win should both of those clubs falter in their weekend matches.
The Gladiators will have to rely on Michael Arroyo and his team-leading five goals to jump start the team's offense and have a chance against Cruz Azul.
San Luis have not been able to beat the Blues at the Estadio Azul since 2006.
Estudiantes Tecos will look to close their dismal season out with a win against Santos Laguna this Saturday at the Estadio Corona. The league's second-best offense will face off against the worst defense.
Santos Laguna's 27 goals are largely in part due to Christian Benitez, who will most likely win the Golden Boot with his 14 strikes. Surely the green and whites will be looking to add to Estudiantes' tally of 35 goals allowed during the Apertura 2010.
Tecos manager Eduardo Acevedo's job is most likely on the line as he hasn't been able to lift the team following Miguel Herrera's departure earlier this season.
With just 15 points in 16 games, the Guadalajara-based squad can only hope to muster a potential 13th place finish should they come out with a win.
The league's worst team will bid adieu to its fans when they face UANL Tigres in the season's final match at the Estadio Jalisco.
The Monterrey team can assure a spot in the Apertura 2010 playoffs with a win in Guadalajara, thus breaking a two-year dry spell of missing the playoffs. Their last postseason adventure was under Manuel Lapuente during the Apertura 2008 season.
Atlas, on the other hand, close out a disappointing season that could see them through to relegation, as their placing within that table has had them within the last three spots.
With just 12 points, the red and black have lost ten matches, tops in the league. Manager Benjamin Galindo has been responsible for just one of those wins in a campaign that has seen three different men take charge of the club.
Monterrey will cap off a dominant season against a desperate opponent who will try to do their part in what would be nothing short of a miracle.
A Chivas win and a plethora of other results would get the Guadalajara side into the playoffs with potentially just four wins in the entire season, this due to the fact they've drawn ten times and lost on three occasions.
Monterrey's second place standing in the table is assured so they will most likely rest most of their starters as they have been doing in the past couple of weeks.
Guadalajara will need to go out there and give it their all against a team that has captured 16 of the 21 points they've had at their disposal when playing at the Estadio Tecnologico.
In eight total matches against the Jaguares, the Gallos have won just once, when they defeated the Chiapas-based team last season by a score of 1-0.
This Saturday's match, however, has the pundits picking the visitors for a win that would automatically put them through to the playoffs by way of their sixth place spot in the table and 24 points on the season.
Jose Guadalupe Cruz's team have scored just 20 goals, the lowest amount within the top eight teams in the table, but that's been more than enough thanks to their top defense which has allowed just 13 goals from the opposition.
Queretaro can only hope to play spoiler, as their season has netted them just 18 points and have them sitting fourteenth overall in what has been Angel David Comizzo's debut season as team manager.
Morelia and Puebla face off at the Estadio Morelos in a match that can go a long way into dictating whether both teams' managers will be sitting in their respective seats come next season.
Puebla's Jose Luis Trejo has been absolutely dreadful in relief of Jose Luis Sanchez and Eduardo Fentanes, winning just twice in nine matches this season.
Morelia's Tomas Boy can put this team through to the playoffs with a win and some help from other teams, a bizarre development that would parallel with Boy's statement a few weeks ago declaring he'd leave the team at the end of the season due to the players' lack of commitment.
Puebla's 18 points have them thirteenth in the league whereas Morelia still have a shot in eleventh place with 20 points, two behind Pachuca who are eighth and hold the last spot.
The defending champions will have one last crack to try and get into the postseason as they face Atlante at home on Sunday.
Toluca were group leaders for most of the season, but a string of bad results towards the end of the campaign dropped them out of the playoff picture.
At the moment, they sit tenth with 21 points, needing a win and a bit of help to get into the "Elite eight". Atlante on the other hand, need a win to stay head above water in the relegation discussion and pad their stats on what has been a poor campaign.
Their 15 points have them 16th in the league with just one game to go.
While the pundits debate if this fixture is a derby in the making or already a full-fledged rivalry match, fans will enjoy a playoff-bound América jostling for placement in the top 3 against a desperate UNAM Pumas who need a win to get into the postseason.
A surprising loss to Gallos Blancos in Week 15 put the felines in their current predicament, and even a 2-0 win to Necaxa the following matchday was not enough to claw them back into the top 8.
Meanwhile, América are a healthy fourth place and have built up over the past few weeks after a slow start. Manuel Lapuente's team will have a final crack at a 30 point season and third place overall should Santos falter against Estudiantes Tecos.
Pumas have not won outside their home stadium in the entire campaign, but they will be helped by the absence of America's star midfielder Daniel Montenegro.
While first and second place are already decided, América, Santos and San Luis all have a crack at third. Sixth, seventh and eighth still have not been decided, and there are more than a handful of teams vying for the final three spots.
A derby will also grace fans' television screens, as América face a desperate Pumas team needing to win in order to get into the playoffs and have a chance at the title.
It's life or death for Necaxa and Pachuca as they face-off in a match with very different implications for each squad.
With a win to close out their dismal first season after promotion, Necaxa will assure itself of not being last in the relegation table going into the Clausura 2011.
With 22 points in 16 games, Pachuca, sitting in eighth place within the league table, can assure itself of obtaining one of the remaining three playoff spots with a win at the Estadio Victoria.
Surely Pablo Marini's squad are licking their chops at the opportunity, as Necaxa are the worst home team in the Apertura 2010. With two wins in eight matches, the performance at their home stadium is a large reason why the red-and-whites will sit the playoffs out.
Two teams already thinking about the postseason face off in Mexico City in a match that is but a mere formality for league leaders Cruz Azul and an opportunity for San Luis to scale places for a better matchup in the playoffs.
In sixteen games, Cruz Azul have obtained 36 points of the total 48 up for the grabs. With a goal difference of +19, the Blues boast the best plus/minus in the league. Their 32 goals also place them as the league's most potent offense.
San Luis' 26 points mean that they could overtake Santos and América with a win should both of those clubs falter in their weekend matches.
The Gladiators will have to rely on Michael Arroyo and his team-leading five goals to jump start the team's offense and have a chance against Cruz Azul.
San Luis have not been able to beat the Blues at the Estadio Azul since 2006.
Estudiantes Tecos will look to close their dismal season out with a win against Santos Laguna this Saturday at the Estadio Corona. The league's second-best offense will face off against the worst defense.
Santos Laguna's 27 goals are largely in part due to Christian Benitez, who will most likely win the Golden Boot with his 14 strikes. Surely the green and whites will be looking to add to Estudiantes' tally of 35 goals allowed during the Apertura 2010.
Tecos manager Eduardo Acevedo's job is most likely on the line as he hasn't been able to lift the team following Miguel Herrera's departure earlier this season.
With just 15 points in 16 games, the Guadalajara-based squad can only hope to muster a potential 13th place finish should they come out with a win.
The league's worst team will bid adieu to its fans when they face UANL Tigres in the season's final match at the Estadio Jalisco.
The Monterrey team can assure a spot in the Apertura 2010 playoffs with a win in Guadalajara, thus breaking a two-year dry spell of missing the playoffs. Their last postseason adventure was under Manuel Lapuente during the Apertura 2008 season.
Atlas, on the other hand, close out a disappointing season that could see them through to relegation, as their placing within that table has had them within the last three spots.
With just 12 points, the red and black have lost ten matches, tops in the league. Manager Benjamin Galindo has been responsible for just one of those wins in a campaign that has seen three different men take charge of the club.
Monterrey will cap off a dominant season against a desperate opponent who will try to do their part in what would be nothing short of a miracle.
A Chivas win and a plethora of other results would get the Guadalajara side into the playoffs with potentially just four wins in the entire season, this due to the fact they've drawn ten times and lost on three occasions.
Monterrey's second place standing in the table is assured so they will most likely rest most of their starters as they have been doing in the past couple of weeks.
Guadalajara will need to go out there and give it their all against a team that has captured 16 of the 21 points they've had at their disposal when playing at the Estadio Tecnologico.
In eight total matches against the Jaguares, the Gallos have won just once, when they defeated the Chiapas-based team last season by a score of 1-0.
This Saturday's match, however, has the pundits picking the visitors for a win that would automatically put them through to the playoffs by way of their sixth place spot in the table and 24 points on the season.
Jose Guadalupe Cruz's team have scored just 20 goals, the lowest amount within the top eight teams in the table, but that's been more than enough thanks to their top defense which has allowed just 13 goals from the opposition.
Queretaro can only hope to play spoiler, as their season has netted them just 18 points and have them sitting fourteenth overall in what has been Angel David Comizzo's debut season as team manager.
Morelia and Puebla face off at the Estadio Morelos in a match that can go a long way into dictating whether both teams' managers will be sitting in their respective seats come next season.
Puebla's Jose Luis Trejo has been absolutely dreadful in relief of Jose Luis Sanchez and Eduardo Fentanes, winning just twice in nine matches this season.
Morelia's Tomas Boy can put this team through to the playoffs with a win and some help from other teams, a bizarre development that would parallel with Boy's statement a few weeks ago declaring he'd leave the team at the end of the season due to the players' lack of commitment.
Puebla's 18 points have them thirteenth in the league whereas Morelia still have a shot in eleventh place with 20 points, two behind Pachuca who are eighth and hold the last spot.
The defending champions will have one last crack to try and get into the postseason as they face Atlante at home on Sunday.
Toluca were group leaders for most of the season, but a string of bad results towards the end of the campaign dropped them out of the playoff picture.
At the moment, they sit tenth with 21 points, needing a win and a bit of help to get into the "Elite eight". Atlante on the other hand, need a win to stay head above water in the relegation discussion and pad their stats on what has been a poor campaign.
Their 15 points have them 16th in the league with just one game to go.
While the pundits debate if this fixture is a derby in the making or already a full-fledged rivalry match, fans will enjoy a playoff-bound América jostling for placement in the top 3 against a desperate UNAM Pumas who need a win to get into the postseason.
A surprising loss to Gallos Blancos in Week 15 put the felines in their current predicament, and even a 2-0 win to Necaxa the following matchday was not enough to claw them back into the top 8.
Meanwhile, América are a healthy fourth place and have built up over the past few weeks after a slow start. Manuel Lapuente's team will have a final crack at a 30 point season and third place overall should Santos falter against Estudiantes Tecos.
Pumas have not won outside their home stadium in the entire campaign, but they will be helped by the absence of America's star midfielder Daniel Montenegro.
