2024-05-23
Cross Blue He did not take home advantage and drew 1-1 against America in Ciudad de los Deportes for the first leg of the Liga MX final.
The match between cementeros and azulcremas started well with two goals in less than fifteen minutes. Cruz Azul took the lead from the penalty spot through Uriel Antuna (8') but did not take advantage and Julian Quinones equalized in the 15th minute.
Everything was very difficult in the second half, nobody dared to look for victory, especially Cruz Azul, who had to gain an advantage over Azteca.
With this tie in no one's favor, the Mexican soccer champion will be known next Sunday at 7:00 PM at the Azteca Stadium.
If America wins the final, they will reach 15 Mexican soccer titles and extend their dominance in Liga MX, while Cruz Azul will reach 10 and equal Toluca.
This is how the Blue Cross VS America minute lived
A minimum of 90: 8 minutes added
At least 82: Cruz Azul's third and final change. Anselmi gets rid of Uriel Antuna and enters Camilo Candido
Minimum 78: Change US: Andre Jardine made his first substitution when he brought on Brian Rodriguez for Henry Martin.
Minimum 75: Cruise Blue Change: Anselmi revamps his midfield with a final return in mind, bringing on Carlos Rodondi for Eric Lira.
Minimum 70: Cruise Blue Change: Martin Anselmi moves his bench and takes Lorenzo Faravelli out to slot in Angel Sepulveda.
Minimum 66: Dita saves again, but Quinones misses a great chance! Kevin Myer left Julian one-on-one between the lines of Israel Reyes; Azulgrema hits it to his right, but little power and a Cruz Azul defender takes it too close to the goal line.
Min 56: Sorry America! Willer Dita lost the ball to Julian Quinones inside the area and passed it to Diego Valdes who finished, but the ball was blocked by Gonzalo Piovi to prevent it from going on target.
Minimum 47: Kevin Myer added some great saves! The Colombian blocked a point-blank shot by Henri Martin, and Julian Quinones countered on the rebound, but Villar Dita knelt down to keep the ball from crossing the goal line.
Minimum 46: The second half of the game begins in the city!
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Min 45+2': BREAK! Cruz Azul and America went into the break tied 1-1. Antuna and Quinones' goals.
Min 45: Cruz Azul had the better of the USA in the first half. The Eagles need to readjust their approach.
Minimum 37: Save Malacon again! Rodrigo Houskas capitalized on the rebound to fire a stunning long-range shot that was stopped by the American goalkeeper to avoid a 2-1 scoreline for Cruz Azul.
Min 29: Sacadón de Malagón! Carlos unleashed a left-footed shot and the American goalkeeper dived to his right to make two saves.
Minimum 16: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL from America! America surprised Cruz Azul with a handoff. Henri Martin took the ball on the right wing and moved it to the far post where Julian Quinones appeared, making the score 1-1.
At least 8: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL from Blue Cross! Uriel Antuna scored the penalty and cemented the win in the first leg of the Liga MX final.
Minimum 6: PENALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL for Cruz Azul! Dos Santos returns it with a nasty shot, Antuna clotheslines him and Malacon Cruz Azul goes down forward. Fernando Hernandez concedes a clear and yellow penalty.
At least 1: Referee Fernando Hernandez blows the whistle at the start of the Clausura 2024 first leg final at Cuudad de los Deportes Stadium.
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Confirmed alignments |
Cruise Blue Lineup: Kevin Myer; Huescas, Lira, Carlos Salcedo, Gonzalo Piovi, Carlos Rotondi, Uriel Antuna, Faravel, Carlos Rodríguez, Nacho Rivero and Sepúlveda.
US Order: Luis Malacon; Israel Reyes, Juarez del Castillo, Igor Lichnovsky, Cristian 'Chicot' Calderon, Jonathan dos Santos, Alvaro Fidalgo, Alejandro Zendejas, Diego Valdez, Julian Quinones and Henry Martin
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After losing three league finals against the United States, this week Cruz Azul will get a new chance to seek revenge against their arch-rivals in the Mexican Clausura-2024 tournament.
The United States and Cruz Azul have played in four finals since 1970, when the league was founded to determine the Mexican soccer champion.
In the first of those finals, 'La Maquina' won the title in the 1971-1972 season, but the USA were later crowned in the 1988-1989 campaign, as well as in the Clausura-2013 and Apertura-2018 tournaments.
Into this fifth final, Azulgremas and Celeste are two of the best in the regular season. America led with 35 points, followed by Cruz Azul with 33 points. However, this does not count as a tiebreaker; In the event of an aggregate tie after two games, extra time will be played and, if necessary, the title will be decided in a penalty shootout.
Both the finals will be played in Mexico City. The first leg will take place on Thursday at 8:00pm at the Ciudad de los Deportes Stadium and the return leg will take place on Sunday at 7:00pm at the Azteca Stadium.
– Anselmi forgot the past –
Cruz Azul qualified for this final after easily eliminating Pumas with a 4-2 aggregate victory in the quarter-finals, while the process was more complicated against Monterrey in the semi-finals, who eliminated him after 2-stage thanks to its excellent position in regularity. 2 total balance in series.
Now he will be looking for his tenth league title, the Argentine convincing fans of 'The Machine' in his debut in Mexican football under Martin Anselmi.
“Data and statistics don't make a football match, we can't live in the past,” Anselmi said after the final. “Now we're going up against the best opponent we can face, he's the champion and we want to beat him.”
In the Clausura at Cruz Azul, Colombian goalkeeper Kevin Maier, enjoying his first domestic competition, was crowned the goalscoring champion by Uruguayan midfielder Ignacio Rivero, who captained him, while Mexican forward Uriel Antuna was the goalscorer.
– Jardine repeats the ending –
The United States developed two close ties. In the quarter-finals they outplayed Pachuca to their best in the regular season after a 2-2 aggregate draw and in the semi-finals they toppled Guadalajara with a 1-0 aggregate score.
Now it has the chance to walk away as the most successful team in Mexican football: it is on its way to its fifteenth league title at the professional level – 18th if the amateur era is also taken into account. Brazilian coach Andre Jardin will be looking to seal the championship twice, a feat only Pumas, Lyon and Atlas have achieved in shorter competitions.
“It's been ten or eleven years since the U.S. hasn't been to the finals in a row,” Jardine said, adding that in this league “we haven't played as well as we wanted to, but you can see the team's commitment and we're going to fight. Another title.”
In the United States, Mexican goalkeeper Angel Malagon stands out, starting the last three matches, Chilean midfielder Diego Valdez, decisive in the last quarter of the field, and Colombian-Mexican forward Julián Quiñones, looking for his second two times. After achieving it through the local championship, Atlas.
Time, channel and possible alignments of Blue Cross-America
The match between Cruz Azul and America starts at 8:00 PM (Honduras time) and will be broadcast on TV Azteca Deportes and TUDN.
