If you are a recent convert to Mexican soccer, you could be forgiven for wondering what the fuss over the “big four” is all about.

After six games of Mexico´s Clausura 2012 season, the traditional “big four” are struggling to live up to their billing, as they have in recent years, with the recent powers in Mexico sitting pretty near the top of the league, again.

Current champion Tigres UANL sits at the top of the league, on 13 points, ahead of Santos Laguna on goal difference, who has reached three of the last four finals.

In third is unbeaten Pachuca, followed by CONCACAF Champions League holder Monterrey.

In sixth comes the first of the “big four,” with Cruz Azul on ten points. The Mexico City club is regularly near the top of the league table, but has no league title since 1997, following a series of capitulations in the playoffs.

The second of the “big four” is Club America, who sits in ninth position on nine points. After a huge overhaul over the winter, attendances have gone up in the Estadio Azteca, but it is still not firing on all cylinders and not close to matching the top four clubs this season on the pitch.

Then come Pumas, a team relying heavily on its own youth products, but struggling down in 15th on five points, less than 12 months since winning its last league championship.

Finally, Chivas sit in last position in the league table, with just one point. Attendance at the Estadio Omnilife has been less than 15,000 for the home games so far this season.

While the Clausura may still be young, the question mark over whether we can still call America, Chivas, Cruz Azul and Pumas the “big four” has been lingering for years.

The four teams only have eight titles between them in the 38 championships since 1990. In other words, less than what you would expect if all the teams were on equal footing.

The justification is that they have the most fans and are the only teams in Mexico that have large swathes of fans in other states in the country outside their own. Three of them are from Mexico City, providing a massive natural catchment area for fans.

Nevertheless, each one was built on success on the pitch.

The 1950s and 60s belonged firmly to Chivas, establishing them as Mexico´s biggest team through winning eight of its 11 titles in those decades.

Similarly, Cruz Azul dominated the 1970s, winning seven of its eight titles between 1969 and 1980.

Then came the 1980s and America´s turn to pick up the titles. Las Aguilas won five of its 10 titles between 1984 and 1989, in an era that gave the club the attacking, free-flowing aura that is still associated with it today.

Pumas have never dominated an era in quite the same way, but has picked up a total of seven titles.

Toluca won the same amount of titles – seven – between 1998 and 2010, yet has never been accepted into a “big five.”

Aside from Toluca, the northern clubs are providing the most successful template for Mexican soccer moving forward, with Tigres and Monterrey games almost always a sellout, Club Tijuana known to have big plans and Santos Laguna one of the best run teams in the league.

With the pressure being applied, the concept of the “big four” is under threat like never before.

By Tom Marshall (@MexicoWorldCup)