Coach Paiva keeps his feet on the ground despite Santos' 3-2 win over Toluca

Renato Paiva refused to let his players get carried away after Santos Laguna's dramatic 3-2 victory over Toluca in the latest Liga MX round. Despite securing all three points away from home and recording a second consecutive win, the Portuguese coach remained firm in his message: Santos Laguna are still in a construction phase and have plenty of work to do. The win over Toluca not only brought three valuable points but also reignited hope for Santos fans after a difficult start to the season. In fact, beating a side like Toluca on their own turf is no easy feat for any Liga MX team. The Nemesio Díez stadium has always been a tough fortress for visiting sides, and coming away with maximum points shows Santos put in a characterful display. However, the goals conceded also raised big questions about their ability to keep clean sheets – a lingering issue that Paiva will surely need to address in the coming weeks. Yet rather than praising his team's performance, Paiva quickly cooled the excited atmosphere with a cautious statement: “That doesn't give us 6 or 9 points. It's the second straight win and that is important. But feet on the ground, we are in a construction.” His words reflect Santos Laguna's current reality. The club still sits 17th in the standings with just seven points, highlighting a forgettable start to the campaign. The winning streak is only just beginning and cannot confirm anything yet – a fact the 47-year-old coach understands better than anyone. The brightest spot in this victory lies in the players' fighting spirit. Paiva praised his squad's commitment: “I told the players we need to compete until the last minute. And they did that. This spirit we are building – always leaving everything on the field – is what will shape Santos' identity in the future.” However, looking at the match's flow, it is clear Santos still have significant structural issues. Conceding two goals against Toluca in an eventual victory shows the defense is not yet solid. If the team truly had a well-organized defensive structure, they would rarely go through such an open, high-risk game. In fact, having to battle until the final minutes to secure three points suggests problems with organization and game control remain. Signals from deep analysis suggest that despite the current winning streak, experts still see Santos Laguna facing multiple hidden risks. Sitting 17th with seven points after a long stretch is not something easily improved in the short term. The team's reliance on players' fighting spirit – rather than a clear tactical system – is also a weakness that bigger opponents could exploit. This weekend's match against Pachuca will be a real test of Santos' ambitions. Paiva knows the moment is crucial and needs support from the stands. He did not hesitate to appeal to the fans: “I invite all the supporters to come to the stadium for the Pachuca game. We need that energy. The last 30 minutes against Toluca was a message for them.” The numbers support cautious optimism. A two-match winning run – including an away win over a team of Toluca's caliber – shows some recovery signals. But analysts also warn that this is too small a sample to confirm a clear trend. Before this streak, the team had made a terrible start, and climbing from 17th cannot happen overnight. Two wins simply help the team improve their position, but the gap to the top remains. Another notable signal is Paiva's repeated use of the phrase “construction process” in his statements. This is a typical communication tactic to lower external expectations and create necessary breathing room for a transitional project. Essentially, when a coach says the team is “building,” it is a way to buy time and shield the squad from harsh criticism – something experienced managers like Paiva know well. It also helps protect young players who face heavy psychological pressure at a club with Santos Laguna's history. The team from the port city of Torreon has won Mexico's top-flight title multiple times, and supporters there are used to seeing their team compete at the top. Watching the club languish near the bottom of the table has been a shock, and Paiva seems to be carefully recalibrating expectations. By publicly praising his players' commitment rather than taking credit himself, Paiva is sending a positive signal about dressing-room cohesion. The Portuguese coach is skillfully sharing responsibility with the group while absorbing external pressure by framing the narrative around “process” rather than “results.” This is seen as an important morale lever to keep the squad united during difficult times. However, the fall will be painful if the run of form is not maintained. The home game against Pachuca thus becomes a key milestone. If they win, Santos can hope to turn “momentum” into “a new stage” – a phrase Paiva himself used to describe his immediate ambition. Conversely, if they lose, all doubts about the team's quality will quickly resurface, and pressure on the coach born in 2026 will rise significantly. Overall, Santos Laguna's current situation can be viewed through multiple lenses. Tactically, it is too early to judge, as no concrete data on possession, xG, or pass counts exists in the analysis. A high-pressing style is also not yet visible in a squad trying to integrate new pieces. Financially, the club's relationship with Grupo Orlegi – which also owns Atlas – could imply notable resource allocation, but there is no verified information to analyze. The most certain value this article delivers is in the realm of mentality and direction. When a team sits 17th and describes itself as “under construction,” it is an admission that things are not easy. But it is precisely in difficult moments that the most important qualities of a group are forged – resilience, commitment, and belief in the process. No rebuilding project succeeds without patience, and Santos Laguna seem to be learning that lesson the hard way. In the context of Liga MX's short Apertura/Clausura format, time for reconstruction is extremely limited. Seventeen games in one phase is not a long runway to nurture a new football philosophy. This creates a paradox: the more patient a team is with the process, the greater the risk of missing the playoffs (Liguilla). Paiva must balance building a solid foundation against delivering immediate results to reassure stakeholders – a difficult equation every Liga MX coach faces. All eyes in Mexican football will now turn to Santos' home ground for the next match. For now, “process” is what Paiva wants to talk about, and the Pachuca game will be the first measure of whether that process is truly on track. But as the coach himself said, keep your feet on the ground, because football never forgives complacency. And in a league where the harsh reality does not allow anyone to dream for too long, staying level-headed after victories will be the most important key for Santos Laguna to survive this turbulent period.