Kevin Mier made another costly mistake for Cruz Azul during their visit to the Estadio BBVA. The Colombian goalkeeper lost possession after just six minutes, leading to César Garza's opening goal for Monterrey in matchday 11 of the Apertura 2026.
Manager Joel Huiqui had called for a reaction after the Campeones Cup defeat to Inter Miami. His team, however, started poorly. Early in the match, Jeremy Márquez played a ball back to his keeper. Mier failed to control it securely and the ball slipped away. César Garza, alert to the error, stole it and finished unchallenged to make it 1-0.
A history of errors
The goalkeeper's mistakes are not an isolated incident. In the Apertura 2024 playoffs, a miscommunication with Rodolfo Rotondi left his goal exposed for a strike from América's Richard Sánchez. Six months later, in the Clausura 2025 semifinals, he committed a naive foul on Rodrigo Aguirre inside the box, resulting in a penalty and América's subsequent comeback.
After conceding, Cruz Azul tried to react and enjoyed more possession. Clear-cut chances, however, were scarce in the first half. The team failed to create convincing opportunities to level the score before the break.
The defeat leaves La Máquina in fourth place in the Apertura 2026 general table, with 21 points from a possible 33. The team will look to get back on track in their next league fixture, which is on our fixtures page.
Huiqui did not specifically address Mier's error in his post-match comments. The manager highlighted the need for collective improvement and to move past the stumble. "We have to be more solid from the start," the coach stated. "Individual mistakes happen, but the team must respond better."
Cruz Azul enters the international break with a win in the Clásico Joven and this defeat in Monterrey. The squad will have several days to work before resuming Liga MX action. The next round of the tournament will be played in early October.
