There was once a time in which this would have been a potential preview of the Liga MX finals. America, the most successful Mexican side of all time, taking on Leon, the current title-holders and most impressive squad from 2019-2020.
But alas, this is no longer 2020. Title tenuously in hand, Leon have wandered into Week 9 of the 2021 Clausura with two wins, one draw, and five losses. Of those five, four have arrived since February.
Leon should eventually find their footing, but it likely won’t be against America manager Santiago Solari and his men. Little by little, Solari’s ideas have made his team a well-oiled machine and one that is capable of stealing Leon’s title once the playoffs roll around.
In what could be seen as a symbolic changing of the guard.
Pick:
America for the win ()
How to Watch Club America vs Leon
| Club America vs Leon Information |
| What |
Club America vs Leon |
| Where |
Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, Mexico) |
| When |
Saturday, March 6th at 8:00 PM ET |
| How to Watch |
Univision, TUDN |
What happened to Leon?
That’s a question many media and fans alike are asking themselves right now. In the not-so-distant past, Leon took charge of the Mexican soccer world in 2019 and 2020 with a thrilling and modern attack-minded approach that overwhelmed Liga MX teams.
Building up to an eventual title in the 2020 Apertura tournament, many assumed that this success would continue to develop under a new dominant era for the club.
That didn’t happen. Leon have looked sluggish in the last few months as they’ve slid further and further down the league table. A comeback isn’t out of the cards just yet, but as we saw in their latest 1-0 defeat by Cruz Azul, that comeback will need to wait once they exit a rough patch in their league schedule.
Up next for Leon before they find an easier path in their schedule? A daunting task against arguably the most exemplary team of the Clausura tournament.
Solari And America Have Made All The Right Moves
With the disclaimer (and irony) of recognizing their 2-0 win that was taken away last month due to an ineligible player being placed on the bench, and therefore given a subsequent 3-0 loss by the league’s disciplinary committee, Solari and America have genuinely made all of the right tactical decisions.
Were it not for the ineligible player, America would currently be sitting on the top of the table with a seven-game undefeated streak and a five-game winning run. In their latest result, a 2-0 away victory over Club Tijuana, it was striking to see how well-organized America were as they maintained most of the possession.
There’s something special building there for Solari, and regardless of the criticism that has been thrown against him by those who worried that he didn’t know enough about the league, he has rapidly built a reliable foundation that has shut out opponents.
Confidence And Morale Is Nearing An All-Time Low In The Tenure Of Ignacio Ambriz
Leon fans are already beginning to sound the alarms. It’s one thing to need a bit of preseason to recover and relax after a league title, and it’s another to go through four losses in five games.
Following the latest defeat, a 2-1 loss at home against Puebla, Leon’s players looked not only outraged but also incredibly fatigued as they walked off the pitch. Unaccustomed to watching these kinds of results, Leon manager Ignacio Ambriz was blunt with his comments after the mid-week loss to Puebla.
“We were a disaster,” said Ambriz in the post-game press conference about his team’s 2nd half performance. “And playing like this we are not going to get anywhere.”
While Leon Could Once Again Be Missing An Influential Midfielder, America Will Be Guided By Theirs
At the time of writing, there are no guarantees that Leon team captain Luis Montes will be fully fit for this weekend’s match against America. After suffering an injury, last season’s top player had to watch from the sidelines as his team stumbled to another defeat.
All of which is obviously good news for America. Playing in somewhat of a similar position in the heart of the roster, newcomer Pedro Aquino has been a revelation in the matches he has been able to take part in. Impactful in both offense and defense, the diligent midfielder has stepped up with two goals and two assists in his first five appearances for Las Aguilas. Oddly enough, Aquino in fact transferred over from Leon over the winter and will be set to take on his former club. And unfortunately for fans of Leon, the exact solution to many of their problems will likely be adding even more to their list of complications when he takes the field this Saturday.
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