The Liga MX final is interesting and watchable for the simple reason that a trophy is on the line, but a bit more is at stake for the managers of Club America and Tigres UANL.
Club America vs. Tigres UANL live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch the Liga MX final online
Tuca’s legacy is on the line on Sunday night, while Turco is fighting for a bit more: his job.
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For ‘Tuca’ Ricardo Ferretti, Sunday’s game represents a chance to equal the club’s greatest ever manager, Carlos Miloc, with two titles. Miloc won the Mexican Primera on two occasions, in 1978 and 1982, and before Ferretti, was the only manager to have won the title with the club. Ferretti has turned Tigres into one of Mexican football’s biggest clubs, and with Superliga and Copa MX titles on his resume, he might be considered the club’s greatest ever manager if he adds another league title.
While that’s all very nice and important, Ferretti isn’t going to be fired if he loses. That’s what could happen to ‘El Turco’ Antonio Mohamed, whose contract expires at the end of this campaign. Even though his club won the regular season and reached the final, Mohamed looks unlikely to be retained by the club’s board, who favor a more attacking style of football.
Tigres won the first leg at home and come into Estadio Azteca with an advantage. However, away goals don’t matter in the final, so their 1-0 win is no better than a 2-1 or 3-2 victory would have been. America only have to record any one-goal victory to force extra time, not win 1-0.
America are likely to keep Pablo Aguilar on the bench again, as he’s been kept out of the first team due to a dust-up with management. Tigres are unlikely to have the services of Juninho, their veteran central defender and arguably their best player, as he’s still recovering from an injury.
Key player - Damian Alvarez (Tigres)
Even at 35 years old, Alvarez is still one of the most dangerous attacking players in Mexico. He set up the only goal in the first leg, incredibly creating space for himself by figuratively breaking the ankles of 22-year old America defender Ventura Alvarado, who would surely beat Alvarez handily in a straight footrace. But old man game can make up for a serious lack of pace, and Alvarez has elite old man game.
Key matchup - Hugo Ayala vs. Oribe Peralta
America’s star striker was kept quiet in the first leg, and Ayala’s going to have to do a similar job on Peralta in the second leg. Tuca has made up for Juninho’s absence by actually playing more central defenders, switching to a 3-4-3 formation since he apparently doesn’t trust any one player to fill in for his big star, but the added numbers don’t make this matchup any less common or important. The man at the center of that back three has been Ayala, and he’ll be the one involved in most of the physical duels with Peralta.
Match date/time: Sunday, 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
TV: Univision Deportes (U.S.), Canal 5 Televisa (Mexico)
Online: Univision Deportes en vivo (U.S.), TDN (Mexico)
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