Liga MX comes to a climax as Club America hosts Toluca in the first leg of the Liguilla Final at the Estadio de los Deportes tonight at 7:00 PM (PST). It will not doubt be a dramatic end to the Liguilla, where defending champions Club America are poised to win their fourth championship in a row, while contenders Toluca aim to steal the crown from the reigning champs with another display of the dazzling football they have demonstrated during the post season. Will we witness America forge their dynasty into the history books of Liga MX? Or is this the start of a new reign with Los Diablos de Toluca at the helm? Find out this Thursday in what will no doubt be a historic finale to what has been an amazing Liga MX season.
Club America:
After dispatching crosstown rivals Cruz Azul during the semifinals in dramatic fashion, Club America find themselves on the cusp of greatness. Las Aguilas will be looking to make it four consecutive domestic titles in a row, something only accomplished once before during the Chivas Campeonisimo era of the late 1950’s.
Club America come into this final in fantastic form and an almost completely healthy squad. Speedy Uruguayan winger Brian Rodriguez is back from his injury and training with the first team, signifying that America has a fully loaded squad available for the first leg of this final. Players like Alvaro Fidalgo, Erik Sanchez, and Alejandro Zendejas come into this match in fantastic form. Together they form a coalition of some of the best footballers Liga MX has to offer.
The Azulcremas are led by the indominable Brazilian born coach Andre Jardine. The Brazilian originally arrived at the club under criticism for being too low a profile coach for an institution as big as Club America, but has since captivated fans and detractors alike with three consecutive championships. Jardine will be looking to add the fourth championship to his already amazing run, and will return to the dugout this weekend after having been red carded in the first leg of the semi-finals for his criticism of the game’s refereeing.
Toluca FC:
Los Diablos de Toluca come into this finale as worthy contenders. After having defeated Tigres in convincing fashion where the match ended 3:0, they arrive to this final capable of exhibiting the most attractive football in all the league. They are led by veteran coach Turco Mohamed, who like Jardine also has three Liga MX titles to his name, and will be looking for his fourth.
Toluca is captained by creative Mexican attacker Alexis Vega, who is in the form of his life, and is arguably the league’s best player. Vega was man of the match in the second leg of the semifinal clash against Tigres, where he scored two goals and provided one assist for his team to book a place in the final of this year’s Clausura. Toluca’s prodigal son, Vega returned to his boyhood club last year after a controversial exit from Chivas, and has reignited his career in remarkable fashion.
Los Diablos Rojo are not a one man show, but an ensemble of some of the best players the league has to offer. Portuguese Striker Paulinho is the league’s top goalscorer, with twenty-seven goals across both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. Midfielders Marcel Ruiz and Jesus Angulo are in exceptional form, and formulate a great part of Toluca’s creative engine. Together this group of players will look to dethrone the reigning champs.
Toluca finished the regular season in first place with 37 points, three points ahead of rivals America. When at their best, they boast the finest attack in the entirety of Liga MX, but they have fallen short of their objectives in the past, as seen in the previous tournament where Los Diablos were eliminated in the quarter finals by Club America themselves. Toluca will be looking for redemption in this two legged final, and have the advantage of the second leg being at home in their fortress, Estadio Nemesio Diez.
Conclusion:
The first leg of the final tonight will be America’s chance to make the most of their homefield advantage, before going away to Toluca for the second leg this Sunday. In what will exhibit the very best of what Liga MX Football has to offer, America versus Toluca will no doubt be an exciting match that you will not want to miss, so tune in and enjoy the very best Futbol Mexico has to offer.
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