Groups set in ‘Copa por México’ preseason tournament

The Apertura 2020 season is about a month away from its start. Having seen the last official Liga MX match over three months ago now, a preseason tournament has been set up in which eight Liga MX teams will take part in their quest to reach 100% physically by the time the regular season begins. Said tournament’s name is Copa por México, and is scheduled to begin on July 3.

How will the tournament format work? The eight participating teams will be divided into two groups, each consisting of four teams. There will be two settings for the Copa por México; Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City. Group 1 will be playing in Estadio Akron, and those teams are Chivas, Mazatlán, Atlas, and Tigres. Group 2 action will be held in Pumas’ home field Estadio Olímpico Universitario, where the teams disputing the group are Pumas, América, Toluca, and Cruz Azul.

The tournament’s inaugural game will be between Mazatlán and Tigres in Guadalajara on July 3, followed by Pumas vs. Toluca in Mexico City later that night. Once the group stage is complete, the tournament playoffs will shift entirely to Mexico City, with the Semifinals and Final taking place in the Estadio Olímpico Universitario exclusively. The Final will be played on Sunday, July 12, roughly two weeks before the start of the Apertura 2020 campaign.

No clear-cut favorite to win the preseason cup thus far, as we know anything can happen between the three bigs (Tigres, América, and Cruz Azul). What will be interesting to see however, are certain situations from some of the participating teams; how Leo Fernández fits into Tigres’ scheme for instance, if “Tuca” gives him a chance at all. And will América debut their newest acquisition in Mexican-German left back Adrian Goransch? The 21-year-old ex-Zacatepec player is highly regarded by teams around the league and is said to be Renato Ibarra’s replacement. Another interesting game to watch will be the cup’s inaugural match, where we will witness Mazatlán’s first game in franchise history. It might not be a successful one, as Ferretti and company will be a tall task to overcome. In general, it stands as an interesting and worth watching preseason tournament.

As for the rest of the Liga MX teams, it will be up to them to schedule their preseason friendly matches and get into tip top shape in this final month of preparation.