FC Juarez Liga MX’s new franchise
As fans were preparing for the Gold Cup, Liga MX stole headlines announcing FC Juarez would become the newest member of Liga MX after purchasing Lobos BUAP. With this purchase, not only will Liga MX return to Juarez, but Alejandra de la Vega became the first female owner in the league.
Since their foundation in 2015 Bravos has been seeking promotion, losing their last opportunity to Lobos BUAP, whose spot they now usurp. FC Juarez is no stranger to Liga MX opponents beating Leon, Veracruz, and UNAM en route to the Copa MX final, losing it to America at home. While its controversial to buy a spot in the league rather than earning it, the fans are excited to have soccer back non the less. Bravos also inherits Lobos BUAP’s place on the relegation table and will be in the 14th position only above Atlas, Guadalajara, Queretaro, recently promoted Atletico San Luis, and Veracruz.
The move puts Juarez in a precarious position, as now they must plan for Liga MX in a shortened window. Head coach Gabriel Caballero, no stranger to Liga MX having lead Los Tuzos in 2013, has the full support of ownership and will remain in charge of the team. Management is now on the clock to evaluate current talent and potential reinforcements to bring in before the start of season. Caballero has stated the team is looking to bring in up to 12 players for the upcoming season.
Bravos will play in the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez, which has been a Liga MX stadium before for the short-lived Cobras and Indios franchises. It has also hosted El Tri on a few occasions, but with an official capacity of only 19,703, it is outdated. De la Vega, who is also part owner of the USL team El Paso Locomotives, has suggested she will look to build a state-of-the-art stadium in El Paso, and make that the future home for both teams. If this occurs, it will be the first time a Liga MX team will play home games in the USA. While it seems outlandish, it may be incredibly lucrative as fans on this side of the border would flock the area to watch teams from Mexico play.
Even though Juarez has had failed teams in Liga MX before, the backing from Mountain Star Sports Group and success of both Bravos and Locomotives have fans confident this time will be different. Whether De la Vega brings Liga MX soccer to the USA will remain to be seen, and who knows how FC Juarez will do in the top tier of Mexican soccer, but for now it’s an exciting time to be a soccer fan in the borderland.
