America will look to wrap up first place in the regular season with a trip to last-place Puebla
Club América looks to clinch top spot in the Liga MX regular season when it visits Puebla on Friday night.
América is coming off a 1-1 draw with Pachuca on Tuesday in the first leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal, and will now aim to bounce back in the final match of the Clausura regular season.
Las Aguilas enter Friday’s match level on points with Toluca atop the table, holding a one-goal advantage on goal differential. Cruz Azul is in third, two points behind América and Toluca.
A trip to Puebla could be just what América needs to finish first, as the home side has been by far the worst team in the Clausura. La Franja has just five points from 16 matches so far, and has both conceded the most and scored the fewest goals in the league.
América has lost just two league matches thus far in the Clausura, as it aims to repeat both as regular season and Liguilla champion.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
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The Liga MX power will be spending plenty of time in the United States this summer.
Club América will be spending plenty of time in the United States this summer.
Las Águilas are set to take in two different competitions on U.S. soil, as well as two friendlies against Premier League sides amid a busy fixture list.
The Liga MX power will start with a Campeón de Campeones match, in which the winner of the Apertura season faces the winner of the Clausura season.
Next will be a pair of friendlies, with Chelsea and then Aston Villa on the agenda. After that, América will enter the 2024 Leagues Cup along with every other team in Liga MX and every MLS team.
As the defending Liga MX champion, América will not participate in the group stage and has been given a bye into the round of 32. Should the club have success, it could play up to five matches in the Leagues Cup.
Here are Club América’s fixtures for its 2024 summer tour of the United States, along with information on purchasing tickets.
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The Liga MX side is planning an ambitious growth strategy in the U.S. ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Long known as an ambitious club on the field, Monterrey is looking to establish itself beyond Mexico, with the United States a huge point of emphasis.
Monterrey’s run of success in recent years puts the Liga MX side in a curious position: the club’s consistency over the last 15 years, and its ability to bring big names to Mexico compares favorably to any of the country’s traditional giants.
The next step is breaking into the sort of cultural space that Club América and Chivas have long enjoyed, where the club’s footprint can be found across Mexico, and in the U.S. as well.
A day before Monterrey claimed a first-leg victory over Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Pro Soccer Wire spoke with the club’s executive vice president Pedro Esquivel at the club’s hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
Per Esquivel, the club’s goal is straightforward: Monterrey wants to be the go-to Liga MX side for fans living in the U.S.
“Our intention is to build and to expand our brand to the U.S.,” explained Esquivel. “When you like sport, you always have your team, but you always have another team from other leagues you like.
“So for us it’s very important to position Rayados as a team for all the people that have team in the U.S. — a team from MLS, a team from other leagues — but to ensure that Monterrey is the favorite team in the Mexican league.”
The club sees this moment — one where Liga MX and MLS are both growing just as the 2026 World Cup will bring matches to Monterrey’s stunning Estadio BBVA — as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Monterrey to become more of a cultural phenomenon with serious relevance in the United States.
That all starts by showing a growing audience that it is a consistent winner.
(Photo by YURI CORTEZ / AFP)
“For us the Champions Cup — and also the Leagues Cup and also the Club World Cup that is going to [happen] next year here in the U.S. — are very important,” said Esquivel. “We know that soccer is growing [unlike] any sport in the U.S., growing with young [people], and there’s more and more people playing, following soccer in the U.S.
“So that’s why these tournaments, Champions Cup, Leagues Cup are very important for us, because we know the Mexican league is one of the most important leagues in terms of ratings in the U.S., not only with Mexicans or second- or third-generation, but also with [everyone else].”
Monterrey, having observed past attempts from Liga MX sides to become more popular in the U.S., has set up a multi-point plan that extends from youth academies all the way up to its TV deal and regularly lifting trophies.
Esquivel listed off aspects of the plan, which include both expanding and diversifying an academy plan that includes a footprint in expected soccer strongholds like Texas and California, but also in places like Chicago, Delaware, and Washington state.
In some cases Monterrey has established its own academy, while in others — like a partnership with USL Championship club North Carolina FC — the club has chosen to affiliate with existing programs. Monterrey will also hold at least five Rayados-branded youth tournaments across the U.S. to further its attempts to appeal to young fans.
“One of the first things is to have this presence with young players with these academies,” explained Esquivel. “[If] we [win] that battle with the young players and with the young fans, we are going to stay there with them for the future.”
Next up? Making sure Monterrey matches are easy to find for soccer fans of all stripes. In July 2023, Rayados signed a multi-year deal with TelevisaUnivision, ensuring that prospective fans can regularly watch the club just about anywhere in the United States.
“The deal that we closed with the broadcaster Televisa, [which is] Univision in the U.S., we know that one of the ways to build awareness of our team is to have a presence,” said Esquivel. “That’s why we signed with Univision last year, to ensure that we have presence in more houses in the U.S.”
Monterrey’s women’s team is also a factor, with Esquivel noting that “it’s also helping us to attract different kinds of fans, because the fans are different from the men’s team, and also is related to our strategy to build inclusion and to ensure that we have this step in women’s soccer.”
Las Rayadas, as one of Liga MX Femenil’s most successful sides, will take part in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Moreover, Esquivel says the club has been intentional in scouting Mexican-American players as prospects to join the club, with its academy network playing a major role.
Monterrey has already secured U.S.-exclusive sponsors as well, and Esquivel says all of these moves are based on the idea that consistency over the long term will give the club the popularity in the U.S. it craves.
“We know that it’s going to be a long-term run,” said Esquivel. “It’s a big investment. We need to ensure that with these actions and with this activities — but also having a winning team — it’s going to be the connection for the future.”
(Photo by ALFREDO ESTRELLA / AFP)
With all of that on the club side, Monterrey still has another massive showcase coming up in the form of World Cup matches at Estadio BBVA. It’s clearly a point of enormous pride for the club, and a chance to show the larger world that Mexican soccer can be just as cutting-edge as what’s found in Europe.
“We are very happy to be part of this event, to be part of this great World Cup,” said Esquivel, grinning at the thought. “We have, I think, the most impressive infrastructure in our facilities in Mexico. All the players that came from Europe [to play for Monterrey] and other countries said that we have facilities that don’t exist, even in clubs in Europe.
“So it’s a great opportunity also to show the world the way that we do things in the club, and of course, not only to be interesting for players coming from other countries, other leagues, but also to show the world that in Mexico, we really believe in investment and development of the game.”
The vice president noted that when Monterrey began conceptualizing its move to Estadio BBVA, big events like the World Cup were in the plans. Esquivel said that securing hosting rights is partially down to the stadium and the club’s top-of-the-line facilities, but is also a function of the city’s relationship with soccer.
“I think there are two things: the way that the stadium was built, and the environment, the way that we live the game in the stadium, the fan base and the way that soccer is lived in the city,” asserted Esquivel. “These two things were very important for FIFA, for the Mexican Federation, to put Monterrey [forward] as one of the cities to receive the World Cup.”
The two sides face off in the first leg of an all-Liga MX semifinal
Club América and Pachuca will face off Tuesday night in the first leg of an all-Liga MX semifinal in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Though the two sides are longtime rivals in the Mexican top flight, this will be the first time they have met in this competition.
Both teams cruised past overmatched opposition in the quarterfinal, with América winning 9-2 on aggregate over the New England Revolution and Pachuca defeating Herediano 7-1 on aggregate.
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Even with a defeat to Pumas over the weekend, América is still atop the Liga MX Clausura table with only one round of matches left. Pachuca is just four points back of Las Aguilas, but down in sixth place.
The winner of this tie will move onto the final, where they’ll face either the Columbus Crew or Monterrey.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
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The Tigres goalkeeper has been handed a massive suspension for his hijinks
The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has leveled an 11-game suspension against Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán for his laser pointer hijinks in last weekend’s match against Monterrey.
Guzmán missed the derby match through injury, and was caught on camera shining a laser pointer down to the pitch from a VIP box. Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada and midfielder Sergio Canales appeared to be targeted during a game that ended 3-3.
Guzmán issued an apology in the aftermath of the incident, but the FMF still took a dim view of the Argentine’s antics in handing down a strongly worded punishment on Thursday night.
“Given the unprecedented nature of the situation, the sanctions imposed should mark a before and after in our sport, for players, managers and fans,” the FMF said in a statement.
The FMF also hit Guzmán with an undisclosed fine and assigned him community service work.
After the FMF suspension, Tigres announced that the club would also “apply sanctions based on our internal code,” including an additional fine.
The ruling means Guzmán will be suspended for the remainder of the Clausura season and the beginning of the Apertura later this year.
13 stadiums could end up serving as temporary home venues for Liga MX sides during this summer’s edition of the Leagues Cup
If you want to see some of Liga MX’s giants during the 2024 Leagues Cup, the list of potential home venues is coming into focus.
The pool of potential “hub” stadiums for Club América, Monterrey, Chivas, and Tigres, as well as any knockout round match between the other 13 Liga MX clubs in the tournament, was announced on Wednesday.
13 stadiums, all in the United States, could potentially see a Liga MX side serve as temporary hosts in the Leagues Cup, which will run from July 26 to August 5.
While the home venues for América, Monterrey, Chivas, and Tigres have not yet been confirmed, a previous announcement on tournament modifications at least denotes the stage at which the quartet can host knockout matches.
Should Chivas advance from Group West 2, the Guadalajara-based club will serve as the round-of-32 host if its point haul is superior to its opponent. Monterrey will get the same status in the round of 16, while América — who along with the Columbus Crew have been granted a bye directly to the knockout round — will have hosting privileges through to at least the semifinals.
Guzman’s efforts to help his side were both extremely illegal and caught on camera
Nahuel Guzmán missed Saturday’s derby match against Monterrey due to injury, but the Tigres goalkeeper still did all he could to help his side win during the game.
Unfortunately for Guzmán, his efforts were both extremely illegal and caught on camera.
Guzmán was shown in the VIP box at the Estadio BBVA shining a laser pointer at Monterrey players during a match that would finish level at 3-3. Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada and midfielder Sergio Canales appeared to be targeted.
Unable to plausibly claim his innocence, the Guzmán instead took to social media on Sunday to apologize.
“As I already did privately and in coherence with the values of the institution that I represent, I want to take advantage of the reach of social media to publicly offer my apologies to Esteban for what occurred last night during first half of the Clásico Regio,” Guzmán wrote in a post on X.
According to ESPN, Monterrey will file an official complaint with the Mexican federation’s disciplinary committee.
Seeing Guzmán get into mischief is hardly a surprise. In just one of many examples of his penchant for the theatrical, the Argentine hid under a tarp in last year’s Liga MX final after he was red carded.
There was also this moment in the Leagues Cup last year, in which Guzmán did a magic trick during a penalty shootout that wouldn’t have been out of place at a child’s birthday party.
Messi’s return didn’t prevent another instance of Miami losing its composure against Los Rayados
Inter Miami’s dreams of worldwide glory will have to wait another year.
Lionel Messi’s return was not enough for Miami, who boiled over en route to a 3-1 second-leg defeat in its Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal against Monterrey.
Just like in the first leg, the Herons finished with 10 men — Jordi Alba was sent off after the damage was already done — and Los Rayados would end up strolling to a 5-2 aggregate win thanks to goals from Brandon Vazquez, Germán Berterame, and Jesús Gallardo.
Coming off of a 2-1 Monterrey win at Chase Stadium, Miami and Monterrey settled into an unsurprising pattern: the slower but technically gifted visitors looking to use possession to unlock the hosts’ defense, while Los Rayados emphasized counter-attacking play from a mid-block.
“I think that the players understood where the game was going,” Monterrey manager Fernando Ortiz told reporters after the game, explaining his use of a 4-4-2 diamond in defensive phases. “We knew that they were going to dominate the game with the ball, and we wanted them to feel desperate, close the spaces, so that they couldn’t find the internal [passes] that has damaged so many rivals.”
Drake Callender — as Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte did the night before — got it all wrong with the ball at his feet, gifting possession to the opponent’s most dangerous goalscorer.
For Monterrey, that’s Vazquez, and the U.S. men’s national team prospect quickly punished the mistake to give Monterrey a two-goal aggregate edge.
Beyond the goal, an otherwise plodding first half offered two talking points: the dreadful pitch conditions at Estadio BBVA, and Luis Suárez wrenching Víctor Guzmán’s arm to a painful angle.
The former slowed possession for both teams down to a crawl in certain areas, with divots popping up all over the field. The latter was not spotted by the officiating crew, and somehow evaded a VAR check, much less an actual punishment.
That might have been more of a flashpoint when Suárez scored shortly thereafter thanks to a flick from Messi, but the Uruguay star was correctly called offside.
In the end, Miami probably needed the lucky break that would have been an illegitimate goal. Monterrey came out of the locker room and thoroughly dominated the start of the second half. After a slew of chances, the Liga MX powers finally found a critical second on the night via a blistering strike from Berterame.
“I believe that what got us out of the game is the second goal, 15 minutes into the second half,” admitted Miami boss Gerardo “Tata” Martino. “I think at that time, we lost our way, we were [already] eliminated.”
Miami was adrift, and another giveaway at the back ended the already remote hopes of a late comeback.
This time, Diego Gómez’s attempt to switch fields was instead slammed directly into Gallardo, who just kept his run going to head home Berterame’s lob into the box.
With advancement out of reach in an acrimonious match, things only went downhill from there for Miami. Jordi Alba picked up two yellow cards in four minutes, exploding at referee Iván Barton as the Salvadoran issued the second in the 78th minute.
Before the match veered into truly embarrassing territory, Messi managed to help save some dignity for the Herons. The Argentine, booed throughout by Monterrey fans, found Gómez with an inch-perfect dead ball delivery, allowing the Paraguay midfielder to nod in a consolation goal in the 86th minute.
Still, the whole experience was chastening for Miami, who didn’t have the legs or mental strength to compete with the best of Concacaf over two legs.
“We knew Monterey is a very good team, and obviously a tough opponent. They played really well, and we made some mistakes that cost us,” said Julian Gressel in an interview with FS1 after the match. “Hopefully we’ll learn from it, and we can move on into the next competition and do well.”
The Costa Rican side travels to Mexico with an almost-insurmountable deficit
Pachuca will host Herediano on Wednesday night in the second leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.
The tie has already been settled for all intents and purposes, with Pachuca storming to a 5-0 win on Costa Rican soil last week to take a massive advantage back home.
Salomón Rondón has been in red-hot form for Los Tuzos, scoring a hat trick in the first leg and following that up with a goal in a 3-0 win over Tigres in Liga MX at the weekend.
The veteran forward is currently the top scorer in the Liga MX Clausura with eight goals.
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Herediano, which is in first place in the Costa Rican league, may opt to rotate its squad ahead of a domestic title push. But it will also have to be wary to not let the aggregate scoreline reach an embarrassing level.
The winner of this tie will face Club América in the semifinal later this month.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
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The obstacles piled up, but the Crew’s commitment to its principles set the stage for a historic success
The Columbus Crew did something no MLS team has ever done in the Concacaf Champions Cup Tuesday night.
The defending MLS Cup champions went to Estadio Universitario and secured a 1-1 second-leg draw against Tigres, eventually advancing to the semifinals on penalty kicks thanks in large part to goalkeeper Patrick Schulte’s two saves early in the tiebreaker.
The first leg at Lower.com Field had also ended 1-1, and history pointed to bad news ahead. No MLS team paired with a Mexican side had ever hosted a first leg, failed to win, and then recovered in the second leg to advance before.
The Crew got that first-leg draw without star forward Cucho Hernández, dropped by head coach Wilfried Nancy for an as-yet-unspecified issue, and faced even more difficulties in the second leg.
For one thing, U.S. men’s national team prospect Aidan Morris, a key ballwinner for Columbus, was unavailable due to a suspension. However, the biggest blow came just three minutes into the match, Schulte got the ball stuck under his foot under pressure from André-Pierre Gignac, conceding a disastrous goal.
¡André-Pierre Gignac abre el marcador del partido a los 3 minutos de juego! ⚽ pic.twitter.com/fsJuED415L
It wasn’t just that Tigres had taken the lead, but that this goal — a product of welcoming pressure from an opponent, a foundational element of Columbus’ methodology under Nancy — called the entire approach into question.
The Crew had to dig in for a spell, with Tigres sensing an opportunity to put the tie to bed quickly. That’s a long-standing pattern for MLS teams in this situation, particularly after a bad mistake.
Columbus, however, held its nerve.
“That’s the way it’s been since the beginning when I took the team: It’s all about us,” Nancy told reporters after the match. “We respect the opposition, we try to adjust certain things depending on what kind of style of play we’re going to face. But at the end of the day, we try to play our football. And today, yes, I’m really proud of the way we played.”
The Crew began playing its way back into the match, with Cucho playing a major role in a 59th minute equalizer.
A long ball over the Tigres defense left the Colombia forward with plenty to do, and while Mo Farsi couldn’t finish off a pass from the left, Diego Rossi was on hand to make sure the opportunity paid off.
El Volcán, arguably the toughest atmosphere in Mexico, was suddenly tame, and Columbus navigated the next hour of the match without having to suffer for long spells. The Crew would finish the match with a possession advantage despite playing on the road, underlining the club’s commitment to its core tactical principles.
“I’m not surprised to be honest with you, because this is not easy, what I’m asking to my players,” said Nancy.
“Yes, we are [MLS Cup] champions, but the idea is: Is it possible to seek improvement all the time, all the time, all the time? Tonight I’m really happy because, yes, we won. But to be honest with you, PK win or loss, it would have been the same for me. Because they believe in [the principles]. That’s why they are able to play the way they want to play, knowing that it’s not easy.”
With a 2-2 aggregate scoreline and the away goals tally equal, penalties arrived, opening the door for Schulte’s redemption on the night. Staring down Gignac, arguably the single player to torment MLS teams in the Champions Cup more than any other, Schulte leapt to his right on the tiebreaker’s opening shot to make a stunning stop.
The Crew took the lead, and Schulte proceeded to deny Guido Pizarrio in round two, setting the stage for a 4-3 triumph.
“Pat deserved that,” insisted Nancy. “He knows that he has to evolve, and so I’m really happy for him, because I can tell you that he was really, really disappointed when we conceded the goal.
“This is the message, this is all the time, day to day what we try to give them. All the time, try to give a new challenge…sometimes there’s a little voice behind you saying that, ‘No, no this is not possible.’ So I try to tell them that, ‘Hey, [wave away] this voice. Leave it on the side, and just play.'”
