Fernando Ortíz has used 29 players in the Apertura 2023 – AS USA

With one game to go in the Liga MX regular phase, Rayados are situated second in the general table and could finish there providing they don’t lose to Querétaro this weekend…

The Albiazules’ campaign has been dogged by injury problems from start to finish, and that has meant a constant headache for coach Fernando Ortíz to find players to put together his best lineup week after week.

Tano’s solution was to dip into Monterrey’s youth teams – drafting younger, inexperienced players to make up the numbers. Those reserve team players have delivered whenever they have been called on and in the coach’s own words, have shown that they have enough quality to play in the top flight.

The likes of Víctor López, César Garza, Ali Ávila, Ángel Jordan, Kevin Ortega, Isidro Suárez, Joaquín Moxica and Ricardo Rentería are beginning to make a name for themselves in a squad full of highly experienced players. The older players have sheltered them in an extraordinary way, with the team reaping the benefits.

Calling on emerging youth team players has enabled Rayados to not lose ground in the tournament – even when they have had key players out. Ortíz’s formula has been knowing how to find the right mix between established players, his other available squad members and a handful of younger players, youth team graduates who are full of ambition.

So far in the tournament a total of 29 players have featured in Ortiz’s lineup. Argentine goalkeeper Esteban Andrada is the only one who has played every minute of every game. The list for most appearances is headed by Sabandija, followed by Maxi Meza, Stefan Medina, Sebastián Vegas, Rogelio Funes Mori and Omar Govea, all of them with more than 13 games played.

Of the youth players, special mention goes to Víctor ‘Chespi’ López, who has starred in eight games – scoring crucial goals in two of them (in the victories against Tijuana and Necaxa).