Mexico

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez has been discharged from hospital following surgery on a fractured skull, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

The loss of Raúl Jiménez has been a big blow to Wolverhampton Wanderers but manager Nuno Espírito Santo says they must find other ways to score in the absence of the injured Mexican striker.

Jiménez, 29, will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after he underwent surgery on a fractured skull. Without their top goalscorer and focal point of attack, Wolves rarely tested Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, going down 4-0 at Anfield.

I’ll be honest, I had little to no intention of watching tonight’s Liga MX semifinal second leg between Cruz Azul and Pumas. La Máquina had won the first leg 4-0, and although Cruz Azul comes with the factory warning of Cruz Azul-ing, I’d like to think I had better things to do on a Sunday night.

I don't. Sources told me Juan Dinenno had pulled one back for Pumas in the fourth minute, so the gin went in the juice and I turned on TUDN.  

Cruz Azul took a giant step toward reaching the Liga MX Apertura finals with a stunning 4-0 victory over Pumas UNAM on Thursday night, scoring three goals in the opening 13 minutes. Pumas are left with a mountain to climb in the second leg on Sunday, not to mention the psychological blow of conceding one of the goals of the season in Mexico to one Rafael Baca.

It was a massive week in U.S. soccer viewership with everyone taking time off for Thanksgiving and hunkering down to watch to incessant onslaught of the Premier League, the start of the MLS Cup playoffs and the business end of the Liga MX Apertura liguilla. 

In terms of English-language broadcasts, the highest-rated event between Nov. 23 and Nov. 29 was last Sunday’s dire 0-0 draw between Chelsea and Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. An audience of 744,000 tuned in on NBCSN to have their spirits crushed by José Mourinho.

Gregg Berhalter, you sly dog. 

18-year-old phenom Efraín Álvarez hasn’t filed a one-time switch from Mexico to the USMNT yet, but that hasn’t stopped Berhalter from luring Zlatan Ibrahimovic's cub into camp, showering him with praise and raising the pulse of Tri supporters everywhere. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raúl Jiménez had an operation on his fractured skull following a clash of heads with Arsenal defender David Luiz during Sunday's game, the Premier League club said on Monday.

The Mexican forward needed oxygen on the pitch before being taken off on a stretcher and rushed to hospital.

Sunday’s meeting between Arsenal and Wolves at the Emirates was brought to a halt in the fifth minute after an ugly clash of heads between David Luiz and Raúl Jiménez off a Willian corner kick. 

Jiménez was stretchered off while receiving oxygen and replaced by Fábio Silva after coming off worse, whereas Luiz continued for Arsenal. Jiménez was then taken directly to a hospital.  

Update: Jiménez is reportedly now conscious and responding to treatment.   

Chivas advanced to the semifinals of the Guardianes playoffs after defeating América 2-1 on Sunday night (3-1 on aggregate). América believed they could overturn the one-goal deficit from the first leg at the Azteca, but Cristian “Chicote” Calderón scored two great goals to turn Henry Martín’s strike into nothing more than consolation.   

The 23-year-old Calderón — who’s been capped four times by Mexico — opened the scoring in the 31st minute with an unstoppable left-footed drive from distance that flew by Guillermo Ochoa and into the corner.   

Mention Diego Lainez to USMNT supporters and they’ll immediately think of Matt Miazga’s relentless trolling of the diminutive winger back in September of 2018. What they won’t recall is that the then 18-year-old was the best player on the field in Nashville, form which he carried over into the Liga MX Apertura playoffs and a $14 million transfer to Real Betis.