Get ready for Liga MX the last thing! Desire Chivas winning their 13th title and equaling the previous record from their Club America teammates? Desire tigers upping the ante with their third manager since February?
Starting on Thursday with the first leg at Tigres’ Estadio Universitario and ending with the second leg on Sunday at Chivas’ Estadio Akron, this week will determine the winners of the 2023 Clausura tournament. Here’s everything you need to know about the final two.
– Appearance of the Final Liga MX | | Coverage of Liga MX on ESPN Deportes
– Futbol Americas on ESPN+: MLS, Liga MX, USMNT, El Tri
CHIVAS
(Standard season: 3rd place, 10W-4D-3L)
How they got here
Momentum is important in the playoffs and no one has had a better run in the Liguilla than Chivas. Paying in the postseason and winning four games, rojiblancos Then they won not one opponent in the playoffs, but two through Atlas in the quarterfinal Clasico Tapatio and Club America in the semifinal Clasico Nacional.
It was difficult even for new manager Veljko Paunovic and Chivas’ all-Mexican signing. In the group stages, Chivas had to bounce back from a 1-0 deficit in the first leg and enter the next round with a bang after a 1-1 draw in the second leg. With Club America in the semis, Chivas went down 1-0 in the first leg before roaring back in the second leg with a 3-1 victory that moved them to 3-2 on aggregate.
Strengths/weaknesses
In a surprisingly quick period in his first season as a Liga MX manager, Paunovic has made his team fit and ready for what has become a 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3. There has been a noticeable increase in confidence from the back line in 2023, and despite his mistakes, the player Miguel “Wacho” Jimenez has done a great job with his countless times that are right in the net.
Against Club America in the second semifinal, Paunovic once again showed that he can be a defensive specialist and the amazing three-man defense that led to Liga MX goalscorer Henry Martin.
And yet, Chivas often find themselves on a tight leash with their manager who often demands pragmatism at the expense of risk. The tactic has worked all season but resulted in a 1-0 loss in the playoffs. On the surface, the attack continues to look like a work in progress for their coach who doesn’t seem to know if he wants to use a real shooter or a fake nine. Things have gotten better with their aerial contests in the postseason, but they’ve also struggled all year with the ball in the air.
Who is their MVP?
Striker/forward Alexis Vega has improved over the course of the season, but midfielder Victor Guzman looks to be on the mend. The 28-year-old, who has seven goals and two assists in Liga MX games since the end of January, gives Chivas everything with his play, distribution and willingness to take shots when needed.
Credit must also be given to Jimenez in net. While there have been a few head-turning moments in 2023 that have brought him criticism, the striker has made more than those with a long list of saves that come out in the final minutes of games. In the playoffs, they are averaging just one goal per game.
What can the title mean for this team?
The championship could mean a return to greatness for the Liga MX giants who have struggled through disappointing seasons. It hasn’t been long since they won their last tournament in the 2017 Clausura, but the last few years have felt like an eternity for Liga MX’s second most successful team to return to the finals after their last tournament. .
The “second most successful” manager can go again if they beat Tigres this weekend. With the title in hand, Chivas can match the all-time Liga MX record of 13 wins held by arch-rivals Club America, who they only beat in the last round.
The competition would also boost optimism about a new era for the club under Paunovic and general manager Fernando Hierro, both of whom were hired last October. After a long period without appearing in the final and more personnel changes, Paunovic and Hierro seem to lead the team in the right direction.
TIGERS
(Regular season: 7th place, 7W-4D-6L)
How they got here
This section should be reworded to “Did he get here?” considering their rollercoaster season.
In early February and after just five games for Diego Cocca, Tigres drew You are not different from me, I am different from you to move after choosing to “terminate the labor contract” with their coach who accepted a position with the Mexican national team.
Former Tigres player Marco Antonio “Chima” Ruiz participated in his first game on Feb. 11, but after a nine-game losing streak that ended with four consecutive Liga MX losses and poor performances, Ruiz was fired and replaced by Robert Dante. Siboldi in April.
Siboldi is Tigres’ third manager since February and fourth since last November. And although some improvements have been made under him, this did not stop the breakdown of a team rich in talent that passed Toluca (5-4 on aggregate) in the quarterfinals and jumped rivals Monterrey (2-1 on aggregate) in the semifinals.
Strengths/weaknesses
You can’t deny the experience and the strength of the team which has famous veterans like Nahuel Guzman, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Guido Pizarro, Luis Quiñones and other experienced players. At their best, they are the most aggressive team in Mexico with many dangerous weapons and options at their disposal.
Siboldi continues to improve his work that he has had for a little over a month, but that has helped Tigres not to be as difficult as they had before in the 4-2-3-1 system (3-5-) 2 last Saturday). In the heart of the XI, they were revived by the number of MVP of the game so far: midfielder Sebastian Cordova.
Tires are a little messy, but they don’t have to be. Along with the change in management, some of their problems are due to familiar names such as the 37-year-old Gignac who seems to be past his prime. Instead, Guzman’s flamboyant and unpredictable appearance has gradually become a hindrance rather than a valuable X-factor.
Who is their MVP?
In a very good team full of talent, their MVP is someone who will not make the list of their seven most talented players.
Cordova, an unlikely hero with a goal in all five of Tigres’ games this season, has been the main reason they have stayed alive in the title race. The 25-year-old Mexican impressed in May not only with goals, but also with the third win in the final.
Gignac also deserves a shout out, despite his waning powers. Despite his lack of finishing, his skills are still superior to that of most hitters in the league. There is no indication that he will leave Tigres any time soon, but considering his age and the need to rebuild the Tigres squad, this could be one of the last chances for the French star to earn a fifth Liga MX championship with the team.
What can the title mean for this team?
It would be another example of the power that is growing in modern Mexican football from the Nuevo Leon club in the north. Often in the shadows of traditional giants like Club America and Chivas, big-spending teams like Monterrey and Tigres have taken the spotlight in the 21st century through their star-studded squads, trophies, and passionate fans.
Although not all have reached the same level when it comes to the overall statistics of Liga MX, progress is being made, especially with Tigres. While Tigres currently has seven league titles — compared to Club America’s 13 and Chivas’ 12 — four of those were collected in the last 10 years.
If the seventh Tigres with three managers this season can raise the head, imagine how a strong team with a concrete training plan can look like going forward.