Marked for David Shrem
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market14 Feb 2028
“I want to be playing for trophies while my legs still let me.” Nothing in that sentence is a transfer request, and nobody at Toluca heard it as anything else.
Squad14 Feb 2028
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Sebastián Córdova and Toluca agree another 4 years.
Player ratings14 Feb 2028
Successful dribbles: 23. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad14 Feb 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Toluca this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings14 Feb 2028
A performance of 8.34 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Loan watch14 Feb 2028
“I did not go to Saburtalo to sit and watch. I want to come back to Toluca and fight for my place.” 8 appearances in 32 matches say the rest.
Squad14 Feb 2028
Luan knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Toluca, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Match12 Feb 2028
Honours even between Toluca and Leon
1‑1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Squad14 Feb 2028
David Shrem gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Steady
Player ratings27 Sep 2027
Successful dribbles: 31. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad27 Sep 2027
Alexis Vega in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Toluca this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings27 Sep 2027
Defensive actions: 20, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.
Match25 Sep 2027
Three points for Toluca, 1‑0 the final word against Morelia in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Player ratings27 Sep 2027
A performance of 8.14 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad27 Sep 2027
Defences have started doubling up on Marcel Ruiz
7 goals and a season average of 7.33 will do that. The space he used to find has gone; he keeps scoring anyway, which is the mark of the real thing.
Player ratings27 Sep 2027
Defensive actions: 17, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.
Loan watch27 Sep 2027
“I did not go to Atlas to sit and watch. I want to come back to Toluca and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 9 matches say the rest.
Squad27 Sep 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Antonio Briseño, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match28 Aug 2027
14 unbeaten for Toluca
Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 14 matches without defeat is a foundation Toluca did not have in the autumn.
Squad30 Aug 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market30 Aug 2027
Toluca say no — this time
The offer from Chiapas for David Shrem was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Squad30 Aug 2027
Alexis Vega in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Toluca this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match28 Aug 2027
Cruz Azul made Toluca work for it, but the scoreboard read 4‑3 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Player ratings30 Aug 2027
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.47, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings30 Aug 2027
A performance of 8.85 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings30 Aug 2027
A masterclass from Paulinho
Marked 8.71 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad30 Aug 2027
7 goals and a season average of 7.31. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad23 Aug 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 9 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match21 Aug 2027
Still nobody has beaten Toluca
The unbeaten run reaches 13. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Market23 Aug 2027
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
Squad23 Aug 2027
Luan in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Toluca this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings23 Aug 2027
A defender's afternoon for Bruno Méndez
Defensive actions: 21. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.
Squad23 Aug 2027
No hiding place for Luan
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Luan, and the manager let it.
Squad23 Aug 2027
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” David Shrem and Toluca agree another 4 years.
Loan watch23 Aug 2027
“I watch every Toluca game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Sol de America runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Player ratings23 Aug 2027
Shots: 8, not one of them in. A centre forward is paid for one thing, and on this evidence he has forgotten which thing it is.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad2 Aug 2027
There were 9 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match31 Jul 2027
Whatever happens, Toluca do not lose
10 games unbeaten now. Some were earned and some were survived, but a habit is forming — and habits are the hardest thing in football to play against.
Market2 Aug 2027
The name of Everardo López has come up in conversations Toluca were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Alexis Vega in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Toluca this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings2 Aug 2027
A performance of 9.93 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Match31 Jul 2027
Toluca get the job done against Atlas
A 3‑2 win over Atlas, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad2 Aug 2027
No hiding place for Paulinho
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Paulinho, and the manager let it.
Player ratings2 Aug 2027
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.96, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings2 Aug 2027
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.59, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market19 Jul 2027
Toluca say no — this time
The offer from Chiapas for David Shrem was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Market19 Jul 2027
Víctor Arteaga has left for Leon in a $1.6M deal. The accountants are pleased; the supporters are less certain.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Alexis Vega in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Toluca this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market19 Jul 2027
Atlas pay $610.0K, and the deal is done. The number reads well on a balance sheet; whether it reads well on the pitch is next season's question.
Market19 Jul 2027
Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Toluca will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Paulinho has company in his position
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Paulinho keeps the shirt for now, at Toluca's convenience rather than his own.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad24 May 2027
Alexis Vega in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Toluca this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad24 May 2027
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” David Shrem commits to Toluca for another 4 years.
Loan watch24 May 2027
“I watch every Toluca game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Hammarby runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Squad24 May 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market24 May 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Toluca know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Loan watch24 May 2027
7 appearances at FC Cincinnati and the goals keep coming. Toluca are watching this more closely than the borrowing club would like.