SEATTLE - The first big derby of the Clausura 2024 will take place this weekend, when Liga MX leaders Cruz Azul travel to their old home, Estadio Azteca, to face reigning champions Club América for the 192nd edition of the 'Clásico Joven.'
With Cruz Azul currently being the best team in Mexico, they will try to use the momentum to end their seven-game winless streak against their archrivals. The last time 'La Máquina' was able to defeat América was more than three years ago, thanks to a 90+6' winner by Uruguayan Jonathan Rodríguez, now an América player.
The 'Azulcremas' lead the head-to-head against Cruz Azul, having won 70 of the 191 previous matches (counting all competitions, including friendlies). Cruz Azul has won 57 while 64 games ended in a draw.
The last time both teams faced each other, América overcame a 1-0 deficit in the first half to win 3-2 during the Apertura 2023. Even though Estadio Azteca has been the home of both América and Cruz Azul at times, the 'Cementeros' have not won a derby against América at Estadio Azteca as the visiting team since April of 2014. Cruz Azul won only one game against the 'Águilas' between 2018 and 2023, when both teams shared the stadium, a 1-0 win in March of 2020.
The reigning Liga MX champions are coming off a disappointing 2-2 draw against Mazatlán, and are winless in their last two league matches. Their 2-1 loss to Pachuca just last week ended a 21-game unbeaten run in regular season that dated back to July 2023 (15-0-6 W-L-D during that span).
Although André Jardine's team has been on a roll for the past year or so, América is going through a rough patch of form at the moment, having won just two of their last seven games in all competitions (2-2-3 W-L-D). They will hope to get back on winning ways against Cruz Azul, as they haven't gone three regular season games without a win in over a year.
For Cruz Azul, this match could very much define their season under first-year coach Martín Anselmi. The Argentine arrived to Mexico after a successful stint with Ecuador's Independiente del Valle, who he helped guide to the 2022 Copa Sudamericana title.
Anselmi has transformed Cruz Azul from bottom-of-the-league to Liga MX leaders after just eight matches at the helm. A 1-0 loss to Pachuca in his debut has been followed by a current seven-game unbeaten streak, including six straight wins ahead of the 'Clásico Joven' matchup this weekend.
With more than half the season left, Cruz Azul has already scored 62% of the goals they managed in the entirety of the Apertura 2023 (13 goals in 8 games; compared to 21 goals in 17 games). They also have the best defensive record in Liga MX this season, allowing 5 goals, tied with América and Monterrey for first.
After collecting just 17 points during the Apertura 2023, Cruz Azul has surpassed their points total with nine games left in the Clausura 2024 (19). Their six-game winning streak is the longest active streak in Liga MX and Cruz Azul's longest since winning 12 games in a bounce during the Clausura 2021, the same tournament they lifted their last Liga MX title.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
