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Seven matches into the season and with just seven points, Club America find themselves near the bottom of the standings. Entering this Saturday night’s Clasico Joven at the Estadio Azteca, one point separates Club America from rivals Cruz Azul, as both teams find themselves in similar situations and with coaches facing a possible firing.
Last week, America lost to their archrival Chivas in a dragging 1-0 defeat. Throughout the entire match, las Aguilas showed the ineffectiveness on offense, recording zero shots on goal. In fact, no player on their roster has yet to break the three-goal mark. While Cecilio Dominguez appeared ready to boost the anemic offense by scoring two goals in his first three matches, a shoulder injury kept him out of last week’s match. Unfortunately for las Aguilas, Dominguez is set to also miss the Clasico Joven.
Like Dominguez, America coach Ricardo La Volpe won’t set foot on the field but for a different reason. During America’s defeat to Chivas, La Volpe received a red card and can’t coach Saturday per league discipline. Lately, La Volpe hasn’t enjoyed much love from the America fans. The most evident case of La Volpe’s disapproval from the fans occurred almost two weeks ago in a 0-0 draw to then last-placed Puebla.
As America’s offense has gone on a three-game goal drought, La Volpe’s future with the team appears to be headed towards an imminent firing. But Cruz Azul coach Paco Jemez may have the same future awaiting him at Cruz Azul. The Cementeros lack the luster from previous iterations as they also enter with a poor record. Since their opening match, Cruz Azul have not won a single league game.
In recent history, America and Cruz Azul have delivering exciting matches. From their penalty shootout in the Clausura 2013 final and America’s 4-3 comeback win last season,. Cruz Azul and las Aguilas keep the game interesting by the unpredictability they share. In a season lacking in goals and wins for both teams, Saturday’s match appears worth watching on name recognition alone. On the field, both teams have yet to find any sense of cohesive play.
Date: Saturday, February 25
Time: 7:00 PM Pacific, 9:00 PM Central, 10:00 PM Eastern
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Television: Univision (US-Spanish), Univision Deportes Network (US-Spanish), Canal de las Estrellas (Mexico), TDN (Mexico)
Streaming: fuboTV (Free trial + monthly subscription), Facebook Live (US-English)