Key keywords: Pumas UNAM, Liga MX Clausura 2024, semi-final losing streak, Liga MX final berth, 2024 Liga MX Playoffs, Pumas 7-year final drought, Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Juan Dinenno Pumas UNAM, one of the most storied franchises in Mexican football, is gearing up for the most important 90 minutes of their season as they look to break a years-long semi-final hoodoo to qualify for the Liga MX Clausura 2024 final. The club has not reached the Liga MX showpiece match since the 2017 Apertura tournament, and has crashed out of the semi-final stage in four consecutive playoff appearances, a streak that has become a source of immense frustration for players, coaching staff, and the global Pumas fanbase. Heading into the second leg of their 2024 semi-final tie against historic rivals Club América, Pumas hold a slight advantage after securing a 1-1 away draw at the Estadio Azteca in the first leg, with star striker Juan Dinenno scoring a crucial second-half equalizer to keep their final hopes alive. The team will return to their home ground, the sold-out Estadio Olímpico Universitario, for the decisive match, where over 62,000 fans are expected to turn out to cheer the side on to ending their painful drought. Head coach Américo Gallego has spent the week leading up to the match refining the team’s game plan, with a specific focus on exploiting América’s well-documented defensive vulnerabilities on the counter attack, and capitalizing on set-piece opportunities, an area where Pumas ranked second in the entire Liga MX during the 2024 Clausura regular season, scoring 14 goals from corners and free kicks across 17 regular matches. Gallego told reporters during a pre-match press conference that the team has also completed extensive penalty kick training, as the tie will go straight to spot kicks if the aggregate score remains level after 90 minutes of the second leg. Pumas’ squad enters the match in near-perfect fitness, with only backup defender Arturo Ortiz sidelined with a minor hamstring strain. Key playmaker Eduardo Salvio, who registered the assist for Dinenno’s goal in the first leg, has recovered from a minor ankle knock and is expected to start, while 21-year-old homegrown winger Jorge Ruvalcaba, who has been linked with a move to several European top-flight clubs this summer, is also set to feature after a string of standout performances in the playoff run. The winner of the tie will go on to face either Tigres UANL or C.D. Guadalajara in the two-legged Clausura 2024 final, with a chance to win the club’s first Liga MX title since 2011. For Pumas, however, the immediate priority is putting an end to their semi-final slump, a result that would already mark a massive milestone for the club after years of underperformance in the knockout stages.