🇲🇽 A Liga MX Apertura preview in five parts
Toluca's defense, the battle for CDMX & more as the new season approaches.
Liga MX teams have been sunning themselves on beaches in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, among other relaxing locales, but when they’re not resting they’ve been running on the beach, lifting weights and training for the start of the season Friday.
Fun time is over. The Apertura kicks off Friday with the much-anticipated showdown between Puebla and Atlas at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc.
Each Thursday during the season, I do a video spotlighting the three best matches of the weekend. You can find it on my TikTok & on YouTube in the shorts panel.
As the teams get serious, so do we. Let’s take a look at five of the most interesting storylines ahead of this weekend’s opening matches
Can Toluca defend its title?
This is the question we’ve asked about Club América for the last several tournaments, but Toluca ended Las Aguilas’ reign and now set about searching for its own bicampeonato.
While América went back to back to back, it has historically been quite difficult to win two short tournaments in a row.
There are reasons to be skeptical about Toluca as well. The Diablos Rojos don’t have the depth of América and are heavily reliant on Alexis Vega in attack. He’s in his best form ever, but he had to cram in the celebrations for Toluca’s title win ahead of national team duty. He won the Gold cup with Mexico but now, again, will have to cut short the festivities.
He’s not alone. Left back Jesus Gallardo and midfielder Marcel Ruiz also were part of El Tri’s title-winning team. But Toluca is relatively thin and any long absences could be difficult to cover.
That said, they’ve tried to improve in key areas. After the abrupt departure of goalkeeper Thiago Volpi last season, Hugo Gonzalez arrives to fight for the starting goalkeeper role. Argentine Nicolás Castro arrives as well, perhaps looking to learn from Vega and find a breakout season after failing to break through during stops in Belgium and Spain.
Carry-overs like forward Paulinho, attacking midfielder Jesús “Canelo” Angulo and veteran midfielder Hector Herrera also will chip in to the efforts to repeat.
Toluca manager Antonio Mohamed knows how to win titles: He showed it in his first season with the Diablos Rojos and also with Tijuana, América and Monterrey. What he’s struggled to do is sustain that early success. It will take something special from Vega - or the emergence of other options - for Toluca to stay on top.
Which Mexico City grande will have the best finish?
Club América won three consecutive titles and was one win away from a fourth, but all is not well in el nido. Defeat in the final was compounded by a loss to LAFC in a playoff to make the Club World Cup - a game that was an opportunity but in defeat feels like failing to fulfill a responsibility.
Las Aguilas managed their title wins largely without replacing top players who departed, a credit to manager Andre Jardine. They’re continuing that pattern, with Alejandro Zendejas taking the No. 10 shirt after Diego Valdes’ departure rather than a new playmaker arrive - though Zendejas had been shouldering the responsibility anyway.
Ralph Orquin arrives from Juarez to replace Chicote Calderon as fullback and América also lured Alexis Gutierrez across town from Cruz Azul to play in the midfield. Critically, Zendejas, do-it-all midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo, winger Brian Fernandez and center back Sebastián Cáceres all are still in Mexico City despite reported transfer interest.
But fans want something big. Rumors that América would go for Diego Luna or, even bigger, Denis Bouanga have supporters expecting a move of that quality, the type of move they feel the club should be making any time but especially after a spring of disappointments. Instead, Henry Martin is now wearing the No. 9 and will continue to captain the team - when he’s fit. Injuries derailed much of his previous tournament, and América looked poor without a true No. 9 (in position, not in number). Things don’t look great. Martin is expected to miss Jornada 1.
While a lack of change is the issue at América, Cruz Azul supporters may be concerned about too much change. Despite winning the Concacaf Champions Cup, Vicente Sanchez was dropped as manager, clearing the way for Nicolas Larcamon.
The former Necaxa (and León) boss now takes over a vehicle built for former manager Martin Anselmi to drive. But there are some upgrades. The club continues to push for the signature of Serbia striker Luka Jovic after his AC Milan contract expired.
Larcamon will have his best playmaker from Necaxa, José Paradela, after Cruz Azul signed him from Rayos and also is adding Atlas product Jeremy Márquez.
Between the strong squad and the experienced manager, it’s a legitimate question which team in Mexico City has more talent and should go farther this year.
And, like a wrestler storming down the ramp to disrupt a match, THAT’S PUMAS MUSIC!
The forgotten grande for many years is working to be remembered once again. It all started last tournament with Efrain Juarez returning to the club where he spent time as a boy before his successful playing career.
He’s been able to convince no less than Aaron Ramsey to join the project. He’s also working to bring in Pedro Vite from the Vancouver Whitecaps, where Juarez used to play, and Álvaro Angulo, who Juarez managed on his championship squads with Atlético Nacional. There also are rumors the club will look to bring Keylor Navas in from Newell’s to defend the net.
The squad transition points to a coach who was told the team would back his project. Juarez so far has been successful at every stop. Becoming the best team in the capital absolutely would count as a huge triumph for the young manager.
Who will be the Kings of the North?
The arms race in Nuevo Leon continues, as Rayados and Tigres continue to bolster their squads with internationally known talent in a quest to get one over on their crosstown rivals - and their rivals elsewhere in the country who have denied either team a title since the 2023 Clausura and the 2019 Apertura before that.
Angel Correa is the latest player to arrive, joining Tigres from Atletico Madrid and strengthening the team’s existing Argentine union that includes standouts like goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman, attacker Juan Brunetta and midfielder-turned-manager Guido Pizarro.
His airport welcome was a reminder of just how soccer-crazy the region is, with fans living and dying with their preferred team like few other places in North America.
Pizarro took over midway through last season in a surprise move that saw him move from the field to the technical area overnight. He has a huge challenge not only integrating Correa but also in seeing if he can revitalize his old running buddy Andre-Pierre Gignac. While Correa’s arrival instantly makes the attack better, the biggest issue last year was playing without a consistent center forward with Gignac injured and Nico Ibañez inconsistent.
Will Correa be asked to fill that role or will he continue to play as a wide attacker, leaving the central forward question somewhat open?
Whoever Tigres’ 9 ends up being will have to tussle with Sergio Ramos, but as Rayados showed in the Club World Cup they’re far more than just one big name. Dome Torrent has taken over after jumping ship from Atlético San Luis, and he refuses to play into local ideas about Monterrey being the center of the soccer universe.
Asked in his introductory news conference if this was the biggest challenge in his career, he flatly denied it. He’s right. Having worked on Pep Guardiola’s staff and later as the manager of Flamengo, he’s been in plenty of pressure-packed places.
Rayados turned in a good Club World Cup in limited time working with the manager, reaching the knockouts and falling a goal short against Borussia Dortmund.
Torrent’s tactics in that tournament looked to rejuvenate Jesus “Tecatito” Corona. That’s good news because Rayados are dependent on Ramos, Corona, Sergio Canales and other veterans to excel.
My hunch is that Torrent’s experience will get the most out of his team, while Pizarro may struggle to learn the ropes in a place where he is beloved but one that is by far the one where he’s faced the most pressure as a manager.
Wait, that’s a lot of new managers
Liga MX was starting to fall short of its reputation. Teams in the league that fired coaches were … having patience?
No more!
Nine new bosses will manage their first game with their club in Jornada 1, half of the 18-team league.
While many - Larcamon, Pachuca’s Jaime Lozano, Rayados’ Domènec Torrent, Mazatlan’s Robert Dante Siboldi, Necaxa’s Fernando Gago - know what to expect from Liga MX, there also are some totally new names.
The names are mostly Spanish. Atlético San Luis, which shares ownership with Atlético Madrid, opted for 36-year-old Guillermo Abascal, who despite his young age already has stops in Switzerland, Russia and Spain. Santos Laguna hopes ex-Almeria forward Francisco is the answer to pull out of the crisis they’re currently in.
While some teams have stuck by their manager’s side despite difficult campaigns, it does feel that the worm is once again turning. Tabloid media rejoice. Coaches beware.
Any spoiler teams?
I’ve nailed the spoiler picks in the last few years, correctly calling Atlético San Luis’ great run last Apertura and Necaxa’s strong Clausura this time around.
Those two teams are once again the most likely candidates to hang with the big boys, though I have my concerns about each as well.
San Luis had a poor tournament last year, and the João Pedro they’re signing is the one from Hull City, not Chelsea.
Necaxa not only lost its manager in Nicolas Larcamon but replaced him with Fernando Gago. Gago can be a good coach, but his departure from Chivas was acrimonious and the performances he got from Boca Juniors were underwhelming. Without Paradela, Necaxa must find a way to replace his production - or rely even more heavily on Diber Cambindo to score and Agustín Palavecino to start attacks after winning the ball back.
Does it seem like I’m not picking a true dark horse? I’m not.
It’s difficult to shake the feeling that the top teams are going to extend their dominance and the hopeful spoilers don’t have the desire or ability to challenge their hegemony.
Looking forward to chronicling another Liga MX season and experiencing it with all of you. Thanks for Getting CONCACAFed!
Welcome, new Liga MX fans! This is a joke.