Pumas UNAM is hoping to take its recent offensive explosion with them to Honduras Wednesday, when the Mexican powerhouse will meet Marathon in the opening game of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series.
After some early scoring woes, Pumas has exploded for seven goals in the last two matches - blowout wins against Pachuca and Puebla. That's as many goals as the squad scored in the opening six games of the Mexican Clausura.
On Sunday at Estadio Olimpico Univeritario, Pumas tallied four unanswered goals, including a pair by Argentine Martin Bravo and Jehu Chiapas in a four-minute span in the second half, after Puebla took an early lead on a third-minute goal by Herculez Gomez.
Pumas are second in Group 3 with a 4-4-1 mark, two points behind division-leading Santos.
"I always had faith in our [forwards]," Bravo said. "Although we had [not scored] in previous games, we knew that was coming at some point. The forwards are strong. We are finding goals and the balance in the team I think is the best."
On Wednesday, Pumas will be without Victor Rosales, who is serving a one-game ban that carries over from the Group Stage. Marathon will miss Glen Mitchell Brown, also suspended for the opening leg.
Pumas is largely unchanged since finishing atop Group D four months ago, while Marathon has undergone numerous changes. Chief among the moves was up top, with manager Manuel Keosseian having left following philosophical differences with management just four days after the Honduran Clausura campaign kicked off.
Nicolas Suazo, cousin of Honduran great David Suazo, returned to the squad he led to a championship in 2005.
Forward Jerry Palacios and left back Mauricio Sabillon are now playing in China, while goalkeeper Juan Obelar transferred to Millonarios in Colombia and defender Mario Beata is still in search of a new club.
Marathon has won only one game in eight to start in the Honduran Clausura, and is sitting in eighth place after a 2-2 draw with Victoria Saturday at Estadio Olimpico Metropollitano. Marathon led 2-0 on goals by Walter Martinez and Carlos Mejia in the opening 34 minutes, only to concede a pair of goals and was reduced to 10 men when defender Marlon Pena, who arrived from Real Espana a month ago, was sent off.
"We do not trust ourselves," Suazo told La Prensa. "What happens is that we get conditioned to stay with one less man."
Suazo is hoping his squad, and its supporters, can recover from the disappointing draw quickly.
"Hopefully, they will come to the stadium, they have to support us and that is what counts," Suazo said. "We are going to represent Honduras and we hope that we have that force to do it well."
