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Match: Super Copa MX, C.F. Monterrey v Club Nexaca
Date: July 15th, 2018
Time: 6PM EDT, 3 PM PDT
Venue: Stub Hub Center, Carson, California
Television: Univision (United States), TDN (Mexico)
Streaming: Fubo, Sling TV, Univision NOW
How they got here: CF Monterrey won the Apertura 2017 Copa MX, Club Nexaca won the Clausura 2018 Copa MX.
⚽️| Cerramos filas y estamos listos para la #SuperCopa2018
— Rayados (@Rayados) July 14, 2018
Aquí las mejores imágenes de nuestro #EntrenamientoRayado en Los Ángeles.
https://t.co/za4t5gwhLe#OrgulloDeSerRayado ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/2yD5orX9ie
Monterrey and Nexaca will face off later today in Carson, California at the StubHub center to determine the winner of the 2018 Supercopa MX . The Supercopa pits the winner of the previous season’s Apertura Copa MX and Clausura Copa MX against each other, similar to how many European leagues have a cup awarded at the beginning of each season featuring the winners of the league and cup. The English Charity Shield match, for example, features the winner of the Premier League and the FA Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup features the winners of the two major European competitions, the Champions League and the Europa League facing off against each other.
Monterrey won the Apertura 2017 Copa MX last December against Pachuca, beating them at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer 1-0 behind a 57th minute strike from Avilés Hurtado. Monterrey’s disappointment over losing the Liga MX Apertura to their bitter rivals Tigres UANL was tempered slightly by their victory in the Copa MX. Monterrey had gone into the Apertura final favored over a Pachuca side that had under-performed during the season, and while a Liga MX title wasn’t on the cards, at least they won a Copa MX in their home stadium.
Nexaca, however, was the underdog in their Copa MX final against Deportivo Toluca. Toluca had a great Clausura in 2018, reaching both the finals of the league and the cup, but were unable to win either one. Nexaca’s win in the Clausura 2018 Copa final was a bright spot for their 2017-18 season, as they finished outside of the Liguilla spots in both campaigns.
The Supercopa will be the first chance for Monterrey fans to see their club in a competitive match since the departure of former manager Antonio Mohamed and the hiring of Diego Alonso. Mohamed was let go after Monterrey failed to get past Xolos de Tijuana in the Clausura Liguilla, and he has since moved on to Celta Vigo in La Liga.
Monterrey made two of the highest profile moves in the off season in Liga MX, signing former Chivas de Guadalajara forward Rodolfo Pizarro and Pumas UNAM’s Mexico international Jesús Gallardo. The two players will be added to an already stacked line-up, with players such as Hurtado, Dorlan Pabón, Rogelio Funes Mori, and US born Mexico international Jonathan González.
The Rayados appear to be doubling-down on their efforts to win the Liguilla after a number of near-misses in the past few seasons, and a Supercopa win could help the team gain momentum early on in the season. Nexaca, however, will be looking to upset yet another “bigger” team in route to a potential Ligulla appearance of their own.