America lift their 14th league trophy after beating Tigres
This Sunday, Club America put the proverbial cherry on the cake with a league trophy, after being the best team of the regular season.
After easing through San Luis in the semifinals, America faced a Tigres team that had had a much more even semifinal series against Pumas. The match itself was even and very tense, but America showed a slight edge despite playing away. However, their attacks were continuously put out by an impressive Nahuel Guzman.
It was until the start of the second half that America tried to reach the best man of the series, Julian Quiñones, that the game opened up. Jesus Angulo miscalculated the trajectory of the ball and unfortunately for him, he ended up impacting Quiñones in the groin area. The referee didn’t hesitate to call up the penalty and Henry Martin successfully converted it.
Tigres woke up after this affront, and began to attack more vigorously, until Sebastian Cordova took a corner that found Ozziel Herrera all by himself inside the box, and he headed the ball inside. The game finished tied but there was an impression that Tigres couldn’t capitalize on the home advantage, and in fact they were the lesser team of the two.
America gets crowned at home
The second game would not be different from the first in that both teams looked more interested in keeping the score even as opposed to being the ones receiving the goal, as is common in final matches. Once again, Nahuel Guzman and Luis Angel Malagon showed that they are two of the best keepers in the league and stopped impressive shots Guzman to Diego Valdez, and Malagon to ‘Guero’ Cordova respectively.
The game kept going and the time did as well, with both teams trying to inflict damage but found solid defenses along the way. Perhaps the clearest chance came in at the 70’ when Rafael Carioca got control of the ball some five metres outside of the box and violently impacted it, but unfortunately for his team, the ball went to the cross bar, lifting everyone off their seats.
Just when everyone thought that the two teams would get ready for extra time, the play that decided the final came through. Raymundo Fulgencio, who had just come into the game, was fighting with Quiñones for control of the ball, when he accidentally impacted the Colombian-Mexican’s face with the palm of his hand. The referee Adonai Escobedo once again did not hesitate to show a direct red card and with that the game began to take a clear route in favour of the locals. Despite being called on by the VAR to review the red card, the referee decided that the red card would stand and with that, he began burying Tigres.
This red card has not come without scrutiny, as retired referees have expressed that it was more appropriate to show a yellow card instead, given the lack of violence and intention in Fulgencio’s strike. Also, previously in the match, the referee called a very similar action by Carioca as a yellow one, while also not even calling a clear aggression by Henry Martin with the ball not being played. This will come as yet another instance of controversial referee calls in Club America’s history.
The game turned into an uphill battle for a Tigres team that even with eleven players had been slightly edged out by their rivals. The game ended 0-0 but as soon as the referee began the extra time, America found their best player of the series, Quiñones, who scored the first goal of the night.
Once again, Nahuel showed that he can be a blessing and a curse. When Tigres got a free kick, Nahuel advanced too much and put himself virtually in the middle of the field, America however took control the ball and with a quick counter once again found Quiñones who suddenly found no keeper in the other goal. Nahuel tackled him and the referee gave him a second yellow card. If the first red card of the game was controversial, this time around all the bill has to be footed by Nahuel. Another Nahuelada that definitely stains the otherwise legendary career of Nahuel Guzman.
Two more goals came in, by Richard Sanchez and ‘Cabecita’ Rodriguez, but the final was really finished as soon as Nahuel lost control.
With that, America positions itself solidly in the top spot of the Liga MX in terms of titles won. At 14, it is the first time that they put a distance of two leagues with respect to archrivals Guadalajara (12 titles), who fell short of tying them just this past summer, also facing Tigres in the final.
