5️⃣🇲🇽 Five questions ahead of the Liga MX Clausura
It's back! January 10!
Liga MX almost never stops.
There is a break between the Apertura and the Clausura, but non-playoff teams were back in preseason before the holidays. Successful squads reported back after Christmas or immediately after the new year. It’s not a lot of time for major changes.
The restart of Liga MX not only comes quickly for fans and journalists covering the team but also seems to take some teams by surprise. The transfer window won’t close for weeks, so coaching staffs still aren’t entirely sure which players they’ll have for the entire campaign or if reinforcements will arrive. That happens in most leagues, but in a league with short tournaments like Liga MX, a star’s presence or absence for four or five of the 17 matchdays can be the difference between making the Liguilla or falling short.
Let’s look at five questions looming as the Clausura begins, the answers to which will determine which team lifts the trophy on May 25, who gets to the summer thinking it’s a success and who will use the brief window between the Clausura and the Apertura to overhaul after a frustrating few months.
Can América fourpeat?
Or earn continental glory?
First we asked if Las Aguilas could win the title, then if they could defend it. Now, they’ve won three consecutive Liga MX crowns. So, we ask once more, can they do it again?!
It’s clear they could, but the bigger prize at hand might be winning the Concacaf Champions Cup, something the Mexico City giant hasn’t done since the 2015–16 edition. América has a first-round bye and likely will open the tournament against rival Chivas, barring an upset from Dominican club Cibao. Its near-misses in previous CCC tournaments, including defeat to Rayados in the 2021 final, kept América out of FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup. Earning a ticket to the next edition and returning to the top of the heap in the region would be another achievement for Jardine to point to.
Despite a regular season that was well below their usual standard, América lifted the trophy at the end of the Apertura. As such, there hasn’t been a huge move to add pieces or overhaul the squad.
One of the biggest lingering questions was answered earlier this week, with manager Andre Jardine saying upon arrival at the Mexico City airport that he has elected to stay at the club and will be there for some time. The Brazilian had been offered the same role at Botafogo, but is staying in Mexico City rather than taking over the reigning Copa Libertadores champions.
Jardine has proven himself to be one of the best tacticians in the Americas. Offers will continue to come. For now, though, América can hope for another Concacaf crown and, sure, why not dream of a fourth consecutive league title?