Pumas have a pressing need this tournament: a reliable goalkeeper. The shortage was glaringly evident in their Apertura 2025 opener, where they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Santos Laguna.
With no experienced options available, the club turned to academy product Rodrigo Parra to guard the net - an experiment that drew criticism from fans and pundits alike for the way he conceded the goals.
The performance has intensified calls to accelerate negotiations for veteran Costa Rican keeper Keylor Navas, though as of now, he remains out of reach for Los Universitarios.
Who else could play in goal for Pumas?
Currently, the only registered goalkeeper on the Liga MX website is Pablo Lara, who suffered a knee injury while on duty with the Mexican national team and missed preseason with the team. His absence forced the club to dip into its youth ranks, leading to Parra’s debut.
The other keeper on the bench against Santos was Miguel Paul, who is now in contention to start in the upcoming matchday-two clash against Pachuca. Parra also remains an option to retain the starting role for another match.
At the moment, Pumas have no other viable options to fill the void left by Álex Padilla, who returned to Spain to rejoin Athletic Club, the owner of his rights. His departure has left the team scrambling to find an experienced shot-stopper at the start of the season.
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