📅 The weekend preview: Mohamed returns to the Azteca as playoff race tightens in Mexico

Plus a huge Sunday in Costa Rica + U-20 thoughts!

Antonio Mohamed won the league as América manager. He briefly wore the jersey as an América player between longer spells with Toros Neza and Monterrey. But he doesn’t feel like part of the América family, and he definitely won’t get any invitations to dinner this weekend.

“I don’t think (fans) identify me with América. In Monterrey, definitely, but not with América. I worked there a year. I’m a manager and things came together, but I was ephemeral as a player - there were two matches,” he told Record this week. “As a manager it was a year, an unforgettable experience for me, but now I’m here representing these colors proudly.”

Here is Pumas, the team Mohamed has coached in two matches, both wins, and has sitting in the 12th and final playoff place in the Liga MX table.

Mohamed returns to the Estadio Azteca as the new manager of Pumas for a game against No. 2 América (10:10 p.m. CT, Univision) for a sold-out Clásico Capitalino that will go a long way toward determining whether or not Pumas’ season will continue.

Mohamed gives the UNAM salute prior to his first match at the helm of Pumas. (Photo by Ismael Rosas/ Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Even the question seemed ridiculous just a few weeks ago. Pumas were floundering under Rafa Puente and closed the season with this trip to the Azteca and next weekend’s journey to leader Monterrey.

But with Mohamed leading the way, players like Cesar Huerta have surged from almost nowhere to give Pumas a boost while Juan Ignacio Dinenno rediscovered his scoring touch to help the club to consecutive 3-1 wins.

“There are a lot of things we’ve tried to change, though a lot of things Rafa did we’ve kept the same,” Mohamed said. “We’ve re-evaluated some situations and think there are still things we can improve but it’s a good squad that has the DNA to attack a ton.

“We’re trying to fold in what Rafa did and prioritize other things that we think we can add.”

It turns out Mohamed really wanted to lead Pumas - well, sort of. The club approached him before hiring Puente, but the Argentine decided he’d rather enjoy the World Cup rather than jump back into work in the fall.

Now, he’s committed, telling TV Azteca (while wearing a jaunty cap) he turned down the chance to coach Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.