2008–09 Primera División A season

Ascenso MX
Season	Clausura 2009
Champions	Mérida

Primera Division A
Season	Apertura 2008
Champions	Querétaro

Primera División A
Season	2008-09
Champions	Apertura: Querétaro ; Clausura: Mérida
Promoted	Querétaro
Relegated	Tapachula
	← 2007-08 2009–10 →

The format for the 2008-09 season changed from 2 groups of 12 to 3 groups of 9 teams. This gave the opportunity and the number increased from 24 to 27, many teams served as reserve teams from teams in D1.

Changes for the 2008-2009 season

Coatzacoalcos moved to Orizaba and was rebranded Orizaba after Apertura 2008
Veracruz were demoted from Primera División
Indios were promoted to Mexican Primera Division
Irapuato won promotion to Primera División A when Pachuca Jr. did not meet the qualifications for promotion.

Added teams

Atlante Chetumal
Mérida FC
Chihuahua
Club Tapatio From Morelia B

Stadia and locations

Torneo Apertura

The Primera División A Apertura 2008 is a Mexican football tournament, one of two short tournaments held each year. It began on July 18, 2008 and ran until December 7, 2008. The reigning champions, León, were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Irapuato on a 2–1 two-leg aggregate, and thus could not successfully defend their Clausura 2008 title. Querétaro won the tournament, defeating Irapuato on a 2–0 two-leg aggregate, and will earn a spot into the promotional playoff held after the end of the Clausura 2009 season, where the winners of the two tournaments meet in an effort to gain promotion to the Primera División.

After winning the 2008 promotional playoff against León, the Indios were promoted to the Primera División. Veracruz were relegated to the Primera División A due to finishing at the bottom of the Primera División relegation table. Pachuca Juniors won the right to be promoted to the Primera División A after winning the Segunda División promotional playoff but lacked the certificate of promotion given to teams by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación. Instead, Irapuato were promoted to the Primera División A, and two new reserve teams were created for the Indios of Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua) and Atlante (Chetumal).

Tournament Format

A total of 27 teams are divided into three groups of nine teams each. Each team plays the other eight teams in its group twice, once at home and once away, for a total of 16 games. At the end of the regular season the top two teams in each group, as well as the next two highest placed teams, qualify to the Liguilla. The teams are seeded based on their position in the general table and are arranged before each round so that the highest seeded team remaining always plays the lowest seed remaining. The teams play a home and home series and whichever team has the better aggregate score advances. If the two teams are tied after both legs in the quarterfinals and semifinals the higher seed advances automatically. In the finals, if the two teams are tied after both legs two 15 minute halves of extra time are added. If the teams are still tied after extra time the champion is determined through a penalty shootout.

Promotion

One team is promoted to the Primera División each year (two short tournaments). After the Clausura 2009 tournament, the champions of the Apertura 2008 and Clausura 2009 tournaments will play a home and home series to determine which team will be promoted. If the same team wins both tournaments it will be promoted automatically. In order for a team to be promoted it has to obtain a certification from the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación. If the winner of the promotional final is not certified for promotion a home and home series is played between the highest placed certified team and the club being relegated to the Primera División A to determine which will be in the Primera División.

Currently certified teams

Relegation

One team is relegated to the Segunda División each year (two short tournaments). The team that has the worst points to games played ratio over the previous three years (Apertura 2006, Clausura 2007, Apertura 2007, Clausura 2008, Apertura 2008, Clausura 2009) is relegated to the Segunda División.

League Table (Groups)

Group 1

P	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	León	16	10	5	1	21	12	+9	35
2	Tijuana	16	9	5	2	20	8	+12	32
3	Irapuato	16	8	6	2	20	6	+14	30
4	Tapatío	16	5	4	7	12	16	−4	19
5	Tecos A	16	4	5	7	17	16	+1	17
6	Académicos	16	3	7	6	12	14	−2	16
7	Real Colima	16	3	6	7	10	18	−8	15
8	Dorados de Sinaloa	16	4	3	9	11	21	−10	15
9	Salamanca	16	2	7	7	10	22	−12	13

Group 2

P	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Querétaro	16	10	3	3	36	20	+16	33
2	Correcaminos	16	9	4	3	21	12	+9	31
3	Tigres B	16	9	2	5	19	12	+7	29
4	Chihuahua	16	6	3	7	25	28	−3	21
5	Durango	16	4	8	4	15	16	−1	20
6	Socio Águila	16	5	4	7	13	16	−3	19
7	Tampico Madero	16	4	5	7	25	30	−5	17
8	Santos Laguna A	16	4	3	9	18	27	−9	15
9	Monterrey A	16	2	6	8	19	30	−11	12

Group 3

P	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	File:Pumas.svg Pumas Morelos	16	11	2	3	27	12	+15	35
2	Mérida	16	10	2	4	22	13	+9	32
3	Veracruz	16	8	4	4	25	16	+9	28
4	Cruz Azul Hidalgo	16	7	3	6	25	15	+10	24
5	Lobos BUAP	16	6	3	7	22	30	−8	21
6	Atlético Mexiquense	16	5	4	7	19	19	0	19
7	Coatzacoalcos	16	4	7	5	14	16	−2	19
8	Chetumal	16	1	8	7	15	28	−13	11
9	Tapachula	16	1	5	10	12	32	−20	8


	Team qualifies for the Liguilla and is certified for promotion
	Team qualifies for the Liguilla
	Team is certified for promotion
	Team is last on the relegation table

As of: November 17, 2008
Source: FMF
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head; 5th away goals scored; 6th draw
P = Position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points.

League Table (General)

P	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Pumas Morelos	16	11	2	3	27	12	+15	35
2	León	16	10	5	1	21	12	+9	35
3	Querétaro	16	10	3	3	36	20	+16	33
4	Tijuana	16	9	5	2	20	8	+12	32
5	Mérida	16	10	2	4	22	13	+9	32
6	Correcaminos	16	9	4	3	21	12	+9	31
7	Irapuato	16	8	6	2	20	6	+14	30
8	Tigres B	16	9	2	5	19	12	+7	29
9	Veracruz	16	8	4	4	25	16	+9	28
10	Cruz Azul Hidalgo	16	7	3	6	25	15	+10	24
11	Chihuahua	16	6	3	7	25	28	−3	21
12	Lobos BUAP	16	6	3	7	22	30	−8	21
13	Durango	16	4	8	4	15	16	−1	20
14	Atlético Mexiquense	16	5	4	7	19	19	0	19
15	Coatzacoalcos	16	4	7	5	14	16	−2	19
16	Socio Águila	16	5	4	7	13	16	−3	19
17	Tapatío	16	5	4	7	12	16	−4	19
18	Tecos A	16	4	5	7	17	16	+1	17
19	Tampico Madero	16	4	5	7	25	30	−5	17
20	Académicos	16	3	7	6	12	14	−2	16
21	Real Colima	16	3	6	7	10	18	−8	15
22	Santos Laguna A	16	4	3	9	18	27	−9	15
23	Sinaloa	16	4	3	9	11	21	−10	15
24	Salamanca	16	2	7	7	10	22	−12	13
25	Monterrey A	16	2	6	8	19	30	−11	12
26	Chetumal	16	1	8	7	15	28	−13	11
27	Tapachula	16	1	5	10	12	32	−20	8


	Team qualifies for the Liguilla and is certified for promotion
	Team qualifies for the Liguilla
	Team is certified for promotion
	Team is last on the relegation table

As of: November 17, 2008
Source: FMF
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head; 5th away goals scored; 6th draw
P = Position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points.

Liguilla

Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Finals

1	Pumas Morelos	2	0	2

8	Tigres B	1	1	2
					1	Pumas Morelos	0	0	0

					7	Irapuato	1	1	2
5	Tijuana	0	4	4

4	Mérida	1	0	1
										7	Irapuato	0	0	0

										3	Querétaro	0	2	2
3	Querétaro	1	1	2

6	Correcaminos	2	0	2
					4	Tijuana	1	1	2

					3	Querétaro	0	3	3
7	León	0	1	1

2	Irapuato	1	1	2

Apertura 2008 winner:
Querétaro 3rd Title

P	Team	Pts	G	Pts/G
1	Tijuana	32	16	2.0000
2	León	166	84	1.9762
3	Irapuato	30	16	1.8750
4	Veracruz	28	16	1.7500
5	Cruz Azul Hidalgo	144	84	1.7143
6	Dorados de Sinaloa	144	84	1.7143
7	Querétaro	140	84	1.6667
8	Correcaminos	131	84	1.5595
9	Pumas Morelos	126	84	1.5000
10	Coatzacoalcos	126	84	1.5000
11	Lobos BUAP	116	84	1.3810
12	Salamanca	114	84	1.3571
13	Mérida	67	50	1.3400
14	Chihuahua	21	16	1.3125
15	Tigres B	110	84	1.3095
16	Durango	109	84	1.2976
17	Real Colima	106	84	1.2619
18	Tampico Madero	103	84	1.2262
19	Tapatío	102	84	1.2143
20	Atlético Mexiquense	98	84	1.1667
21	Monterrey A	96	84	1.1429
22	Socio Águila	93	84	1.1071
23	Académicos	91	84	1.0833
24	Tecos A	90	84	1.0714
25	Santos Laguna A	81	84	0.9643
26	Tapachula	36	50	0.7200
27	Chetumal	11	16	0.6875

P	Team	Pts	G	Pts/G
1	Tijuana	65	32	2.0313
2	León	189	100	1.8900
3	Veracruz	58	32	1.8125
4	Dorados de Sinaloa	175	100	1.7500
5	Cruz Azul Hidalgo	171	100	1.7100
6	Querétaro	160	100	1.6000
7	Irapuato	50	32	1.5625
8	Correcaminos	151	100	1.5100
9	Pumas Morelos	150	100	1.5000
10	Mérida	97	66	1.4697
11	Orizaba	146	100	1.4600
12	Lobos BUAP	141	100	1.4100
13	Salamanca	140	100	1.4000
14	Durango	134	100	1.3400
15	Chihuahua	41	32	1.2813
16	Tigres B	128	100	1.2800
17	Real Colima	121	100	1.2100
18	Socio Águila	120	100	1.2000
19	Tampico Madero	118	100	1.1800
20	Monterrey	116	100	1.1600
21	Atlético Mexiquense	114	100	1.1400
22	Tapatío	114	100	1.1400
23	Académicos	102	100	1.0200
24	Chetumal	32	32	1.0000
25	Tecos	99	100	0.9900
26	Santos Laguna A	99	100	0.9900
27	Tapachula	52	66	0.7879

Changes for the 2008-2009 season

Stadia and locations

Torneo Apertura