🚂 Cruz Azul takes one back from Club América
Las Aguilas have had all the success recently, but this one will hurt them.
Before their meeting Tuesday in the second leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal, Club América fan group Ritual Del Kaoz displayed a banner directly at Cruz Azul.
“We’ve taken everything from you!”
The accompanying post on social media was the lyrics to a song, referencing not only América’s consecutive wins over La Maquina in the playoffs but also the stadium where Las Aguilas currently roost and “your dignity” and “your peace”.
Tuesday night, Cruz Azul took something back.
La Maquina advanced to the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup with a 2-1 win Tuesday, denying their crosstown rivals the chance at an international trophy that was América’s top priority this season.
América’s gloating supporters weren’t totally wrong. Many of their club’s recent triumphs had come at the expense of Cruz Azul, a version of Los Celestes that looked stronger than even the current one.
At the Estadio Olimpico, Pumas’ home stadium and Cruz Azul’s temporary venue this season, it was impossible not to think about the lingering memory of those frustrations.
Despite an early goal from Angel Sepulveda, the scoreless first leg last week across town in what used to be called the Estadio Azul meant that América needed just one goal - an away goal - to advance. And that goal came. Of course it did.
Alvaro Fidalgo arrived in the box in the 57th minute, taking a touch and then sneaking the ball into Cruz Auzl shot-stopper Kevin Mier’s back post. The 1-1 scoreline would’ve put América into the semifinal, and the club’s successful manager, Andre Jardine, looked to defend it.
He took off playmaker Diego Valdes - pressed into action as the leader of the line with center forward Henry Martin still missing because of an Achilles injury. In his place, he inserted center back Nestor Araujo.
Cruz Azul interim manager Vicente Sanchez countered with two attacking changes, and his approach paid off with a barrage of chances for the winner.
The winner finally came in the 85th minute, when defender Gonzalo Piovi tried to put a cross into the 18-yard area. América center back Sebastian Caceres looked to head it away but found himself unable to make contact on the ball, which fell to Ignacio Rivero. From there, it was a training-ground exercise to cross for Sepulveda, who headed in the winning goal.
“I knew I was ready. Today I had to show it on the field, which was the most important thing,” Sepulveda said after. “I think the team played with personality today, playing good soccer, generating a lot of chances.
“For a lot of stretches, we were better than the opponent - who obviously is a great opponent. I think it’s a night we all deserved. The fans, supporters of Cruz Azul. We all deserve it.”
He may have been prepared to finish both chances, but he didn’t seem all that ready for the moment. After the winner, Sepulveda took off his shirt in celebration, but went to the corner flag in a jog, wearing an expression that seemed to say, “Well … look at that.”
Look at that, indeed.
Despite constant frustrations in the other direction, Tuesday it was América left to wonder what went wrong and to accept a bitter pill delivered at the hands of a fellow Mexico City club. After winning three consecutive Liga MX titles, a first in the modern era, the CCC was América’s top objective this season.
América can back up its label as “el más grande” thanks to its Liga MX wins, but it is irked that it hasn’t won the continental crown since the 2015-16 edition.
“It’s worth a lot. We wanted to break through, but you have to go step by step. The other teams want to win it too. It’s a hard, difficult tournament,” Jardine said. “This is a game that easily could’ve been a final or semifinal.
“It’s really going to hurt us, again, but that’s how soccer is. You have to keep moving forward and achieve new goals.”
Jardine has rarely made so much as a bad substitution in his tenure since arriving in Coapa, a fallback plan after being turned down by managers with a larger international profile. After the league titles, the CCC felt like the only thing he had left to win before heading off for a job in Europe - or even being given a go at the now-vacant Brazil senior national team gig.
Yet, it’s hard not to feel like he was outfoxed by Sanchez, a novice manager many felt was simply keeping the seat warm for a new boss after Martin Anselmi’s abrupt and messy departure for Porto this winter.
Perhaps the freshness of a leader who wasn’t carrying any of the baggage referenced by the supporters’ banner and the gibes and songs helped Cruz Azul move past what is now part of the rivalry’s history.
“In my life, I try not to look back. What happened in the past can’t be changed. What you can change is what happens going forward,” Sanchez said. “That’s how life is. Every day we have the chance to change. That’s my way of thinking. We were clear we had to get to the next phase, into the semifinal. We know it’s a very important tournament for the club.”
Anselmi was the architect of the teams that had those near-misses, the defeats in the semifinal and final to América. He had re-energized the Cruz Azul fan base, making supporters believe their title won during the pandemic wasn’t a fluke, and there may be a stretch of consistent success after years and years of near-misses, of ‘how did they lose that one?’ questioning of “This year is the year’ false hope.
“Los títulos en último minuto te los arrebatamos
Tus ilusiones en muchas ocasiones nos las robamos” Ritual Del Kaoz’ song said:
“We’ve snatched your titles at the last minute. On many occasions we’ve robbed you of your hopes and dreams.”
Instead, after Tuesday’s win, Cruz Azul fans sang “By Vicente’s hand we’re going to become champions.”
América has taken a lot from Cruz Azul. Some thought they’d taken everything. Turns out, there’s still plenty to hope for.