Cruz Azul Keeps Winning Without Erik Lira: Seven Games Without Their Captain and La Maquina Still Delivers

Seven games without their captain, and Cruz Azul is still standing tall. That's the real picture of what has unfolded on Joel Huiqui's bench while Erik Lira negotiates a possible move to Monaco, whether by a coaching decision or because the midfielder was away with the Mexican national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The hard numbers: of the 16 games Joel Huiqui has coached with La Maquina, Lira has missed seven, whether by inability or by choice. Six of those absences came throughout the entire Clausura 2026 playoffs, the tournament in which Cruz Azul ended up lifting the title, and they coincided with Javier Aguirre calling him up to train with El Tri ahead of the World Cup. The seventh was different: in Matchday 5 of the Apertura 2026, Huiqui opted to leave him out because of the ongoing negotiations with the Monaco club.

Amaury Garcia Has Stepped Up

When Lira is out, someone has to fill that spot in midfield, and that's where Amaury Garcia comes in. The Pumas academy product has played in all seven games without the sky blue captain, starting in all six playoff matches and coming off the bench against Atlas, when Cruz Azul found itself down 0-2 on the scoreboard and Huiqui needed to shake up his lineup.

The other option has been Agustin Palavecino, though his case is different since he isn't really a player built for holding midfield duties. In that same match against Atlas, Huiqui actually started him in that role, something unusual for him, and he only lasted the first half there. With the team down 0-2, the Argentine ended up shifting back to his natural position as a attacking midfielder for the second half.

The Numbers Don't Lie

So how has La Maquina really fared without their captain? Better than many would expect. In those seven games without Lira, Cruz Azul has racked up four wins, two draws, and just one loss. That's not meant to downplay the importance of a player who has been a key piece in the project, but it does make clear that Huiqui has found replacement pieces that deliver when called upon.

Lira's situation remains unresolved, and all signs point to his future being in Europe. In the meantime, Cruz Azul already knows that even without their captain on the field, the team's overall performance hasn't suffered much. For a club coming off a title win, that's reassuring news heading into the rest of the Apertura 2026.