Article Written By: Manny Alcala
The first 90 minutes are set to be played today to see who will be the new champions of the Liga MX. Leon and Club America will face off in the first of a two-leg battle in Leon’s home stadium, Nou Camp.
This final is bound to be filled with greatness, on one hand we have Leon who has been putting on a clinic during the playoffs by scoring a ton of goals. In the quarter finals they faced Monarcas Morelia and beat them with an astounding score of 7-3 aggregate. Then Leon moved on to face a tough rival in Santos Laguna in the semifinals, but Leon’s potent offense came in display again and won that leg with a score of 5-3 aggregate. Some of the Key players to look for are defender Rafael Marquez and Midfielder Carlos Peña. The 34 year old Marquez has found his second wind with Leon showing some of his strongest play that reminds fans of when he played with Barcelona, while Peña has been a sensation with his amazing speed, and abilities to give assists and finish at the goal. His talent has captured many reporters eyes and some have stated that he belongs and deserves to play in Europe.
On the other hand, we have Club America who are the current champions after their dramatic win last season in the final vs. Cruz Azul. Club America faced Tigres UANL in the quarter finals and turned out to be the toughest round for them as America advanced on a 3-3 aggregate score because of their better position in the standings. Then they went on to face Toluca in the semis and after losing the first game by a score of 2-1 they took advantage of home field and won 2-0 in Estadio Azteca helping them move to the final with a 3-2 aggregate score. Club America’s coach Miguel Herrera has stated many times that he wants to leave this team as a champion since he has to go coach Mexico’s national team after this final. Club America is a very strong team overall and their team play has been exceptional. Some players to keep on eye are forward Raul Jimenez and the Colombian defender Aquivaldo Mosquera. Jimenez constant scoring has earned him a spot with Mexico’s national team at his young age of only 22 years. He is lethal in the box, so Leon’s defense better be aware of him. Mosquera has been the leader of Club America’s defense throughout the season, but look out for him during America’s corner kicks, he tends to connect and score great headers.
Overall these two teams appear to match up similarly. I predict that Leon will win today’s game with a final score of 3-1. Leon has been a great team at home and their offense will help them carry a lead of two goals into the second leg match.
Make sure to catch the game tonight at 9PM ET (6PM PT).