Monterrey are enjoying a solid start to the opening phase of the Liga MX Apertura 2025, but many have singled out the team’s defence as a major weak point. Rayados have shipped seven goals in five match days and this has sparked criticism of Sergio Ramos in Mexico. The defender who has now played 22 games in the Rayados jersey is accused of being more concerned with the offensive side than the defensive side of his game.
Against Mazatlán, Rayados earned their fourth victory of the tournament, a result that catapulted them to share the lead along with Pachuca. However, it wasn’t a perfect night for the side as the team shipped two goals against Mazatlan with Sergio Ramos getting the flak from many media outlets.
Ricardo Peláez, former soccer player and now analyst at ESPN, was harsh on Ramos. “Monterrey needs balance. They scored three goals, but conceded two, three, or four. We need to balance the team. Everyone needs to participate defensively, but they don’t. They look fragile defensively. Ramos seems like he came to score goals, not defend,” he said.
While Ramos has provided leadership, that’s not all. Rayados is far from being one of the best defenses. In fact, they currently rank below Xolos, Tigres, América, and Pachuca in that regard. Torrent and his team will have to improve in this area to find the solidity that will allow them to achieve results more comfortably.
“Ramos is a former soccer player”
Nacho Miguélez, a Spanish journalist who now collaborates with TNT Sports claimed that Ramos is an ‘ex-player’.
“Why would a former footballer go to a team that is supposedly a great football team, because Sergio Ramos is a former footballer. If that team wants to sign a former footballer" he said.
Next up for Rayados and Ramos are three games that, at least on paper appear to relatively straightforward as they play Necaxa, Puebla, and Querétaro.