A brilliant first leg performance from Club Leon has put Club America up against the ropes in the second leg of the 2013 Apertura Liguilla final. Leon, who are seeking their first league title since 1992, pulled out a 2-0 win on Thursday to head to Estadio Azteca as favorites to lift the trophy.
Club America vs. Club Leon: Preview and TV schedule
Miguel Herrera needs a comeback in his final game as Club America boss.
Hagen Hopkins
America has worked out of tougher pickles, however. In last season’s final, they trailed by two goals late and pulled off a dramatic comeback to force extra time and eventually win the title on penalties.
Sunday’s second leg will be the last game in his current post for America boss Miguel Herrera. He took over as interim Mexico manager for the nation’s intercontinental playoff against New Zealand and was named permanent El Tri boss after they were successful in beating the Kiwis and qualifying for the upcoming World Cup. Herrera was the engineer in a great turnaround for the club, who were struggling to compete despite a massive wage bill when he took over.
In the second leg, America will need more than they got from their forwards in Leon. Raul Jimenez and Luis Gabriel Rey looked dangerous at times, but were poor in front of goal. Their midfield needs to be better defensively as well, as they failed to track the late runs of Carlos Peña and Luis Montes in the first leg.
Match date/time: Sunday, 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
TV: Univision
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