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With a roster of new soccer talent, the Jocotepec men’s team is ready for the start of the 2026 Jalisco Cup. This will be the third cup in which veteran Sergio López Llamas directs the Jocotepec squad, and they are looking to erase the bitter taste of the last round, when a controversial refereeing decision cost them their place in the competition, despite having the best offense and the second-best defense.
Commenting on the match where they were eliminated, Sergio López said he didn’t see biased refereeing, but rather a referee who didn’t know the rules, which cost them a goal that eliminated them in the first match of the second round. “When someone heads the ball and then the ball hits their hand, it’s no longer considered a handball; it’s one of the new rules. They need to know the rules well. If the referee knew the rules, he wouldn’t have called it,” explained the coach, who hopes that this time these kinds of mistakes won’t happen.
He told Laguna in a prior interview that six players will return to represent their town, while the rest will be made up of young, promising new talent, thus giving young players an opportunity to shine. “There are some very dedicated players, and we have to give the opportunity to the guys who never miss training and who are more disciplined. We have a big problem with inconsistency in the municipalities,” the technical director said while emphasizing discipline as a key factor for improvement.
“Every goal is a moment of happiness. The motivation is for my town, for my people, and that’s the beauty of the cup—that each player represents their municipality,” he said.
The coach, who boasts of his experience as a professional player, assistant coach in the first division, and current manager of the successful national socca team (a soccer-style sport with six players per team), says he hopes for the support of the parents to motivate the players and instill discipline, aiming to deliver good football and have a winning team. He expressed his gratitude for the fans’ support and hopes that this year’s tournament will also see the team’s supporters cheering them on at every match.
The draw to determine the groups and opponents will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and changes to the match-setting format are expected.
Translated and edited by Barbara Reid
