Carlos Esquivel isn't a fool. In front of Juan Carlos Osorio, Mexico's newest manager, the Mexican played his best game of the season during Toluca's noteworthy 4-2 win against Queretaro on Sunday.
The winger isn't guaranteed a spot in El Tri's roster next month for the World Cup Qualifying match against El Salvador but Osorio will surely not forget the veteran's outstanding 90 minutes. With Toluca's undefeated streak pushed to six games thanks to a couple of Esquivel goals, "Carlitos" leads this week's list of the top 10 Liga MX players.
1. Carlos Esquivel, MF, Toluca
Esquivel must have been very aware that Osorio was in the stands. The 33-year-old was the standout player of the weekend, collecting two impressive goals and was also dangerous with his smart passing in the attack.
2. Andre-Pierre Gignac, FW, Tigres
Gignac was an exclamation point in the Tigres attack. While Javier Aquino, Rafael Sobis and Jurgen Damm built up the pressure with well-timed passes and intelligent movement, Gignac waited patiently for the ball and was perfect with the two opportunities that came his way. With two goals in hand, the French striker was the man of the match in the 2-1 win against Pachuca.
3. Fernando Uribe, FW, Toluca
Uribe was a menace against Queretaro. The Colombian took advantage of bad touches from Los Gallos Blancos and managed to find two goals for his side on Sunday's exciting win. Uribe's perseverance and goals have easily landed him a spot at No. 3 in this week's list.
4. Andres Renteria, FW, Santos Laguna
Renteria could have potentially finished Santos Laguna's 3-0 win against Veracruz a second goal when he received a horrible pass from Veracruz defender Leobardo Lopez late in the game, which put him one-on-one with goalkeeper Edgar Meliton Hernandez. Instead, Renteria opted for an assist with a pass to Djaniny Tavares that led to a goal.
5. Oribe Peralta, FW, America
With a role in both of America's goals in Friday night's 2-0 victory over Tijuana, Peralta was hugely important with his goal and assist. The striker may have wished that Osorio was in Tijuana instead of Leon last week, but the match will surely help his case for the national team.
6. Djaniny, FW, Santos Laguna
After going almost two full months without a goal, Djaniny burst back onto the Liga MX scene with two goals for Santos on Friday. The Cape Verdean striker had more shots on goal than any other Santos player and nearly had an assist with his passing. That being said, his second goal appeared to be offside on further inspection through replays...
7. Orbelin Pineda, MF, Queretaro
In a loss that was filled with dismal performances from nearly every Queretaro player, Pineda emerged as the squad's only hope. The 19-year-old provided the only goals for Los Gallos Blancos during the 44th and 49th minutes of the defeat.
8. Javier Cortes, MF, Pumas
After a 2-0 lead against Leon by the 55th minute of Saturday's match, Pumas sat back and absorbed the hosts' pressure. Cortes was key with his long passes forward and shut down all hopes of a Leon comeback when he scored the third goal for the Mexico City side in the 86th minute of their 3-1 away win.
9. Agustin Marchesin, GK, Santos Laguna
The best shot-stopper of the weekend. Marchesin made five saves against Veracruz and was smart with his movement off of his line. The 27-year-old Argentine has now collected his third shut-out in his last four games for Los Guerreros.
10. Pablo Aguilar, DF, America
With plenty of pressure from Los Xolos during the second half of Friday's game, Aguilar stood tall in the America defensive line and was excellent with his clearances. It's no wonder that the Paraguayan has started every game for Las Aguilas this season.