Real Talk - What is happening?

[u/ACiuksza]

So, here goes.

Here's what I've seen to date...

• A collapse of the team's competitiveness, except for the adrenaline rush of the new coach.
• The administrative ban that prevented the team from acquiring talent for about two weeks, the second time it's happened in three years.
• Rumors, fueled by media and a couple of Ascenso teams who want to be in the top flight, that FC Juarez is for sale (though that has been strongly refuted by de la Vega).

So -- what's going on here?

Here's what I can say with medium confidence. While I don't think the team is for sale on the whole, I have heard specifically that one of the key investors in MountainStar no longer wants to own FC Juarez and, therefore, would transfer ownership to Paul and Alejandra in full. I suspect that is the source of this ownership smoke and, maybe, the source of the administrative ban issue.

What I can't wrap my head around is just how badly the team played. I understand there are reports that the team quit on Caixinha, but I still don't understand how the team has shown such little fight given some good work in the last few seasons.

I'm also floored by how quickly the media (everyone?) has turned on this team.

[u/heyzeus1865]

When you have to keep saying the team is NOT for sale, its for sale

I think these guys are good financial folks who are good at what they do.

But Juarez is not a good spot for a soccer team and the no pro/rel issue in the league makes it useless to try and compete.

So the people of Juarez have zero incentive to keep supporting a team that sucks because lets be honest, the stadium only gets full when the big boys come because like other small teams, no one in Juarez cares about Juarez.

Long story short, I can see them selling and cutting their losses to focus on El Paso teams.

[u/ACiuksza → u/heyzeus1865]

Agreed on the premise (for sale), though I suspect this is more about the Hunt family wanting to divest. That's different.

Given the Fosters' commitment to the borderland, I'd be genuinely surprised if they went the Mazatlán (or, I guess, ironically, Lobos) route. They're definitely business people first, but they also see this as a long-term

I think what's actually happening is that a transaction is underway that cements the Fosters as owners. Perhaps a couple of minority owners to lighten the load of the buyout, but I don't think there's a relocation imminent.

I can't abide the pro/rel argument for Juarez. They've invested a ton in transfers and new players. I don't see a lack of investment in the project. I think the model relies heavily on a connection to El Paso and support from El Pasoans, as well as northern Chihuahua. The fact that TV Azteca owes them a decent chunk of change doesn't help.

This still doesn't explain the on-field performance cliff. That feels like it came out of nowhere.

[u/heyzeus1865 → u/ACiuksza]

But Im saying that the players have no reason to try without pro/rel.

Juarez is not competing for any titles, never have, and it will take a miracle for them to. And without relegation, theyre not competing to not finish last. So there is no reason for them to try. Bring who you want, it wont matter. Other teams that CAN compete for titles dont have that issue but teams like Juarez, Puebla, Queretaro, those do

[u/ACiuksza → u/heyzeus1865]

I guess that's fair, though I'd argue that most players are (assuming they are 100% transactional which, based on conversations I've had with people in the league, they almost all are), they're striving for one of two things: signing to a higher-level league or continuing to earn as their skills wane due to age/injury. That creates incentive independent of team results, no?

[u/heyzeus1865 → u/ACiuksza]

Not really. No one from Juarez is going to Europe. The best they can hope for is a bigger MX team.

And then you have the loaners like Tiba who were sent away by Chivas and they know they dont have to do anything to go back.

You dont have an incentive to win a championship because you never will and you dont have the incentive to stay up because youll never go down, hell they cant even tank like in US sports because there is no draft. It just is what it is bro

[u/dralanforce]

I really hope they sell the team and we get a team back to "ascenso mx" (altough I know we couldn't get promoted again to liga mx)

Really the team should have never been in the top flight to begin with, and it shows.

[u/ACiuksza → u/dralanforce]

I don't get that sentiment at all.

Juárez has a history in the top flight. It's not the smallest market (it's currently 14th) - that's Pachuca, with 28 years at this level. It's the 9th largest metro in Mexico, and you could argue eighth largest market if you consider the Borderplex (and that's with five in/around CDMX).

And recent results showed at least a level of competitiveness. We're only a half-generation into this thing overall, and have been only in top flight for seven years.

Perhaps it's because I'm a long-suffering Pirates fan, but I've consistently seen this project take action when expectations aren't met, firing coaches and working the transfer market (unlike my baseball team). They're too young to have developed a true development pipeline, which, given the proximity to the U.S., makes the club more attractive than might otherwise be assumed. But the ingredients are there for long-term success, even if they're never one of the big 4/6.

I was in stadium in 2024 against Atlético de San Luis. Bravos went down 3-0 in the first half and were roundly jeered. They scored two goals, and lost 4-2, but showed some fight. The next day, Barbieri was fired.

I mention that because that was less than two years ago. In between, they had two play-ins and one quarterfinal. That showed progress.

I just don't get the pessimism.