Things we learned from America 4-3 Cruz Azul

In one of the biggest Liga MX playoff games in recent history, reigning champions Club América reached the final after defeating regular season leaders Cruz Azul 4-3 in the semifinals.

After a lackluster 0-0 draw in the first leg, América came into the second leg needing a win to advance. If there was another draw, Cruz Azul would have advanced because they would be the higher seeded player. Las Águilas were clearly superior in the first hour of the game and took a 3-1 lead in the last 15 minutes of the 90.

Cruz Azul fought back and briefly equalized in the 87th minute with a great goal from Amaury Morales, giving them a chance to reach the final. It seemed as if La Máquina had made a heroic comeback, but América were awarded a penalty on the first move after play resumed, which Rodrigo Aguirre converted and sent Las Águilas to the final for the third consecutive time.

It was a magical evening at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, and here’s what we learned from America’s recent playoff victory over cross-town rivals Cruz Azul.

What a pleasure that was. There was everything: incredible goals, comebacks, drama, excitement and, as is usual in such cases, controversy.

Cruz Azul played a terrible first hour of play and it seemed like the season would end without a fight. Five goals were scored in the final 30-plus minutes, with both teams exchanging blows. Ignacio Rivero scored in the 68th minute to make it 1-2, Ramon Juárez countered and scored the third goal for América with a header in the 72nd minute and seemed to put the nail in the coffin for La Máquina.

The madness came as the clock reached the 80th minute, Gabriel Fernández equalized for the hosts 10 minutes before stoppage time and Morales’ volley seven minutes later sent the stadium into an absolute frenzy as the comeback seemed complete. It was short-lived, however, as after a lengthy VAR review, Aguirre scored from the penalty spot and sent América to the final, leaving the Cruz Azul players visibly upset with the referee’s decision.

This is how a semi-final derby should be played. Both teams did their best on the pitch and offered the fans a worthy spectacle. It may not have been a perfectly played game – especially not by Cruz Azul – but it had action and intensity throughout, making it one of those games that can make anyone fall in love with the sport.

Everyone was thrilled when it was clear that we would reach the semi-finals of El Clásico Joven. A rematch of last season’s final, the best team of the Apertura 2024 against the reigning two-time champions. In the end, the second leg of the semi-final will go down as one of the greatest and most memorable playoff games of all time in Liga MX history.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. For the seventh time since the turn of the century, the sixth in eleven years and the second in 2024, Cruz Azul was eliminated in the playoffs by América.

Cruz Azul was a shadow of his regular season self for much of the game. There were players who seemed unprepared for a game of this magnitude and it cost them dearly in the first half. But unlike previous playoff defeats, the team showed character and fought until the end, managing to secure the comeback and reach the final in just a few minutes.

The team’s underlying problems were highlighted by the loss. Both central defenders fought in the air and that led directly to the final goal. Kevin Mier was praised for his ball-playing skills as a goalkeeper, acting almost like a centre-back in possession, but he was taken out of position for América’s stunning second goal.

In the end, Martín Anselmi’s record-breaking team’s season ended in an all-too-familiar way. It’s another chapter in the team’s long book of heartbreaking playoff losses. For the fanbase, Cruz Azul ended the season in perhaps the only way they couldn’t afford.

All América can do is win, it thrives in the knockout stages and the team has once again shown why they dominated Mexican football last year.

André Jardine improved his Liga MX playoff record to 8-0 with América, an incredible achievement for the Brazilian coach that cements his position among the great managers in América history. Jardine won the chess match against Anselmi and exploited Cruz Azul’s weaknesses better than any other team had managed all season.

After a bumpy regular season, Las Águilas made it to the playoffs via the play-in. Now it has defeated the top two teams of the regular season on its way to the finals. It is a team with great playoff experience that has once again demonstrated its champion DNA. There’s a reason this is the winningest team in Mexican soccer and it’s because they thrive in big games like this. Monterrey awaits in the final, and no team has come close to the level of America on the way to the final.

After the madness of their fantastic semi-final victory and continuing their dominance over their Mexico City rivals, América are just 180 minutes away from claiming their third consecutive title and moving four titles clear at the top of the all-time league with their 16th League Cup Liga MX rankings.

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