Photo Ron Soliman

Now that the Union has opened its Leagues Cup schedule by defeating fellow MLS side Charlotte FC 1-0, a brief reminiscence about Liga MX and Cruz Azul may be useful.

Mexico’s new season started July 5th, 2024 and will resume August 23rd, once Leagues Cup is over. After five games, the Blue Cross side is in first place on a goal difference of +8, ahead of Pumas and Tigres with whom it shares 10 points. It is an excellent start notwithstanding a 4-0 away loss to Monterrey. Former Atlanta United striker Georgios Giokooumakis now plays for CAZ. He was bought this summer, and has two goals in five games. Goalkeeper Kevin Mier has kept three clean sheets in those five matches. All the shutouts came at home.

First division Mexican professional club soccer

Liga MX’s competitive structure does not mirror Major League Soccer’s.

• The Mexican topflight totals 18 teams. MLS has 29 teams.
• Liga MX plays a fall-winter-spring season avoiding summer. MLS plays a spring-summer-fall season avoiding winter.
• Mexico divides its competitive year into two separate competitions in which they play their 17 opponents once, EITHER home OR away. Each segment has its own “postseason” championship. MLS uses one competition divided into two conferences playing 15 conference opponents BOTH home AND away, with a selection of single games among the other conference.

Because of these differences, creating valid comparisons between the two leagues’ statistics requires creating a special combined table to seed the tournament’s draw. (Click here and then find the sub-heads “Draw” and “Seeding” to discover the combined ranking.)

Notwithstanding the statisticians’ best efforts, the rhythms of teams making their major, club-altering changes remains fundamentally different. For Leagues Cup, MLS is in mid-to-late season form while Liga MX has just begun anew.

A change to the tournament for 2024

To reduce the vast travel top Mexican teams accumulated last year, the four top 2024 Mexican sides (the byed champion and the top three group stage seeds) will have hub privileges located in MLS stadiums. (For example, the Union was a hub last year as the top group stage seed and is this year as the ninth.)

• Club América will play in California starting at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego in the Round of 32; hub privilege will last through the semifinal.
• Monterrey will play in Texas with both group games at Q2 Stadium in Austin; hub privilege will last through the Round of 16.
• Guadalajara (“Chivas”) will play in California starting at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara; hub privilege will last through the Round of 32.
• UANL (“Tigres”) will play in Texas starting at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston; hub privilege will last for group stage games only.

Cruz Azul

Beginning a year ago in the first half of Mexico’s 2023-2024 season (the Torneo Apertura or “opening tournament”), Cruz Azul finished poorly. They were 16th of 18 with five wins, two draws, and 10 losses. Their goal difference was only -8 and no match was won or lost by more than two goals. They were never blown out. Also, after a five-year absence they had returned to their traditional stadium in Mexico City, Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, sometimes nicknamed “Estadio Azul.”

In the second half of that season, the Torneo Clausura, they improved dramatically. They rose 14 places and finished second. They won 10, drew three, and lost four. They nearly doubled their point total from 17 to 33 and in the Clausura postseason they made the final but lost it to America 2-1. Almost worst to almost first.

Again, they never blew anybody out and they were never blown out. Their largest margin of victory was three. Their worst loss was two. Their top Clausura scorer, 26-year-old Mexican national Uriel Antuna, had eight goals. Their keeper, 24-year-old Colombian Kevin Mier, joined January 1^st, 2024 at the Clausura’s beginning, and led it with eight clean sheets.

Along with new keeper, the club began the Clausura with a new head coach. Argentinian Martin Anselmi, who signed on December 20, 2023, was probably the most important change to the club’s performance. The 39-year-old came from Independiente del Valle in Ecuador where he had been the man in charge for a year and a half. His Cruz Azul contract with runs through June 30, 2027.

Transfermarkt says coach Andelmi prefers a 3-4-1-2 shape. The unchanging basic statistics suggest Anselmi created better organization and team spirit on the pitch, belief in other words.

In 2024 Charlotte and Cruz Azul have been drawn into the same Leagues Cup group as they were in 2023. Last year Charlotte won on penalties 4-3, but neither the Mexican side’s new goalkeeper nor new coach were yet in place. The sides are scheduled to meet again Wednesday, July 31^st at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte  at 8 PM Eastern.

The Union will play Cruz Azul Sunday, August 4 at 8:00 PM at Subaru Park.

Appendix: Teams & time zones

To help follow the tournament, we list the teams by home stadium time zones. Most of Mexico is in what the U. S. and Canada call the Central time zone.