Match Preview: America vs. FC Juarez

Will America’s woes continue against Juarez or will the Aguilas finally get another win at home?

The last time America won a league game was almost a month ago during week three. It is now week seven and the Aguilas are coming off back-to-back losses against Tijuana and Leon on the road. Juarez comes into week seven with two losses, four draws and only one win. The sole win comes against Tijuana who took down America two weeks prior.

While most people are criticizing head coach Fernando “Tano” Ortiz and are already calling for his resignation, their schedule also needs closer examining. It’s not wrong to question the head coach seeing as it is their job to help guide the team to a win, but the schedule should also be taken into account. In the last month alone, America has played in four international friendlies. They lost against Chelsea and Manchester City, drew against Real Madrid and defeated LAFC on penalties in the Leagues Cup. America played against Tijuana and Leon in between all those friendlies and went on to lose both of those matches. In between the six games, America only had about three days of rest. How are players supposed to play to the best of their abilities if they have such little rest and are also traveling during those days?

While there are many benefits to scheduling those friendlies, there are also disadvantages. Players who usually don’t get a lot of minutes are given the opportunity to play during these games. The down side is players don’t get proper rest since these friendlies are usually stuffed in between league games. Yes, America gets exposure to top European teams, but at what cost? So far, America has only managed to win one league game since the season started. The good thing is that they don’t play another club friendly until the end of September, so they can solely focus on league matches for now.

While the schedule doesn’t do America any favors, it is not an excuse for their play so far this season. The only team doing worse than America right now is Queretaro who are dead last in the standings, and possibly Guadalajara, who have yet to win a game this season. Not getting shots on target and causing any real kind of danger with the ball does not do them any favors either.