The Brave Jaiba, like the Lions of 2006

The story of the Jaiba Brava, which will write a special page in the 2025 Clausura final of the Liga de Expansión, is very similar to the teams that rise from the canvas and walk, united, toward the goal.

It could be said that, in the words of someone who experienced it firsthand, they even resemble historic Mexican baseball champions.

Miguel Ángel Durán Fritz was a sports psychologist during the 2006 season that saw the Leones de Yucatán triumph against all odds in the Mexican Baseball League. Now, he's part of a team that reached the Grand Final of the Expansion League, the Jaiba Brava, with a change of approach just when everything was falling apart. The Yucatecan professional arrived in Tamaulipas to be a key part of the revival.

"We reached the final. Thank God I'll get to experience another final like the one against the Leones. We're playing against the Leones Negros, whom we beat on Matchday 11," said the specialist, who has a long track record in his work in sports psychology.

Tampico and the surrounding areas are experiencing a euphoria that hasn't been felt for a long time. "It's crazy. We had 18,000 fans at the first leg of the final at the Tamaulipas Stadium. It's going to be packed for the final."

And Jaiba Brava, Fritz believes, must continue doing what it's been doing for the past ten matches. He explains this in an interview with the newspaper: "When Jaiba Brava called me, they had three consecutive losses, the red lights were on. They brought in 'Chima' Ruiz as their technical director, a First Division coach for an emergency. Things were getting horrendous," he notes. "And since then, we've gone ten matches without a defeat."

"You know what happens? I've been blessed to be in locker rooms like this. It was like with the Lions in 2006. In the Jaiba, you start to feel something that tells you there's a lot of unity, camaraderie, humility, hunger to win, and everything flows."

“It's great to work at a club where you feel such a strong camaraderie, it's wonderful.”

The leaders of the University of Guadalajara's Leones Negros and the Jaiba Brava of Tampico are ready to kick off the grand final of the 2025 Clausura of the Liga de Expansión, which will be played in matches from Saturday to Saturday.

The first round will be played this Saturday, May 17, at 7:00 PM at the Tamaulipas Stadium in Tampico, where the Jaiba Brava has played a strong regular season and playoffs. The second leg will take place at the Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, eight days later, at the same time.

La Jaiba Brava, coached by the experienced Marco Antonio "Chima" Ruiz and ranked fifth (25 points), pulled off a surprise by eliminating the Zacatecas Miners, one of the most consistent teams in the Expansion League in recent years. The Miners had knocked out the Venados FC Yucatán in the first round.

The Black Lions (29 points), with Luis Sosa at the helm, eliminated Morelia.- GASPAR SILVEIRA MALAVER