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And so, it begins for Club America. Las Aguilas kick off their Centenary season at the mythical Estadio Azteca as they host Jaguares de Chiapas in their opening game of the 2016 Liga MX Apertura. As is the custom in Coapa, the bar is set high for the men in yellow as they embark in their historic 100th year of existence.
For Ignacio Ambriz's side, this Centenary season is about consistency. In a season where you would have expected the team to commit waves of money on new players, Ambriz and co. decided on bringing just three new faces to the team. In other words, Las Aguilas have stuck with the same side that was defeated by Monterrey in the semifinals of last season, with just the minor additions of Silvio Romero, Renato Ibarra, and Bruno Valdez.
That said, there is nothing more the America faithful would want to see than their team lift the title during their Centenary season. In that regard, big signings or not, Las Aguilas will continue to be one of the perennial favorites to win the league.
Their first opponent of the season is Chiapas, who Club America have not lost to at home in eight years. In stark contrast to Las Aguilas, Chiapas made wholesale changes to their squad and even brought in a new manager in Toluca legend Jose Saturnino Cardozo.
They say first impressions matter, and from a Chiapas perspective, any point at the Estadio Azteca would be a good point. For Club America, it is about starting their historic season with all three points. Their fans will certainly be expecting no less than a win at home.
Match date/time: Saturday 10pm EST, 9pm local
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
TV: Univision (US - Spanish), Univision Deportes Network (US- Spanish), TDN (Mexico)
Streaming: fuboTV (Free trial + monthly subscription)