The Liga MX 2015 Clausura season has kicked off and it's time to take a look at the top performers of the opening weekend.
Here's the Best XI:
Oribe Peralta: Forward, Club America -- The veteran striker made sure that the new era under coach Gustavo Matosas got off to a winning start by scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes of the 3-2 win over Leon -- Matosas' former club. After Leon managed to equalize, Peralta had the vision to make an excellent pass to new Aguilas acquisition Darwin Quintero for the winning goal.
Matias Alustiza: Forward, Puebla -- The experienced Argentine showed he is truly at home in the colors of Puebla, notching two goals for the club to stake them out to a lead that held up for a 2-1 final result against Tijuana.
Carlos Darwin Quintero: Midfielder, Club America -- Sometimes the pressure of joining a big club and their fervent fans gets to normally competent players, but if the tension of playing in Azteca in an Aguilas uniform affected Quintero, he didn't let it show. His play was lively and dangerous from the start, with the final goal to win the match the icing on an excellent debut.
Aviles Hurtado: Midfielder, Chiapas -- Chivas has the rest of the season to escape relegation, but Guadalajara started off on the wrong path with an own goal. However, it was the Colombian midfielder, Hurtado, who sentenced Chivas to a loss with the winning goal in the 2-1 game. He came on in the second half and made the difference, scoring just three minutes from the end of regulation.
Joao Rojas: Midfielder, Cruz Azul -- Cruz Azul learned a tough lesson by missing the playoffs last season, and hopefully now knows better than to leave it to get done late. Young Ecuadorian Rojas certainly seems to have picked up the lesson, scoring early in the match to get his squad off to a winning start with a 0-1 away win over Pachuca.
Fidel Martinez: Midfielder, Leones Negros -- Another Ecuadorian youngster got that less-famous Liga MX team in Guadalajara off to a winning start with a well-taken goal in the 67th minute. Martinez certainly did his part to help the Leones Negros to a 1-0 victory over Monterrey.
Edgar Castillo: Defender, Atlas -- It wasn't just that Castillo's runs frustrated the finalists from last season in Tigres to the point where he provoked Joffre Guerron into a second yellow card that reduced the opposition to 10 men. It was that Castillo did his part in defending well for Atlas, helping the squad maintain the clean sheet that made Edy Brambila's goal hold up for a 1-0 triumph.
Leiton Jimenez: Defender, Veracruz -- At less than six feet, Colombia's Jimenez isn't particularly big for a central defender, but he stood tall against Santos Laguna, scoring both goals in a stirring 1-2 comeback victory.
Jesus Paganoni: Defender, Veracruz -- Jimenez is gigantic compared to his partner in central defense, but Paganoni's positioning, leaping ability (despite being 5-foot-6) and tireless energy work well for Veracruz. The Mexican defender did his part well in his team's win.
Fausto Pinto: Defender, Cruz Azul -- The runs of Rojas are often set up or triggered by Pinto advancing the ball out of the back, and that's a skill that too often doesn't get enough credit. It also wasn't for Cruz Azul to hold a lead for so long, but Pinto's experience helped earn the clean sheet.
Alfredo Talavera: Goalkeeper, Toluca -- The scoreless draw against Morelia indicates that Toluca's attack has yet to get going this season, but lucky for them, goalkeeper Talavera is still in good form, turning aside a number of shots to help his squad keep a clean sheet.