Defensive perfection, America’s new ambition

“If we are clear about something in the team, it is that we have to be impeccable defensively if we want to win a title,” he mentioned. Nestor Araujocentral defender of América and the Mexican team during the conference prior to matchday 13 of the Liga MXwhich will be crucial for the eagles as it is a direct duel in the search for general sub-leadership against León.

América comes into this clash (Saturday night at the Azteca stadium) in third position with 23 points, while León is second with 24, so a cream-blue victory would reverse the positions in the table. The challenge for América is that León arrives with a streak of 10 games without losing, eight of which have been victories (including two in the Concacaf Champions League).

Araujo, World Cup winner for Mexico in Qatar 2022 and former player of Celta de Vigo in Spain, emphasized that defensive solidity must be the pillar of América towards the end of the tournament, since the objective is to finish within the first four places in the table to qualify directly for the quarterfinals. , just as they have done in the last five tournaments.

“As defenders we always say the same thing within the team: we have to try to make América solid defensively, because up front we have a lot of capacity and a lot of goals. We have to work in the defensive part, learn from the elimination of the last tournament and try to keep zero behind to achieve things”.

América is the only one of the 18 teams in Liga MX that has advanced directly to the league since the playoffs returned in Guardianes 2020, that is, it has accumulated five tournaments being top 4 in the regular phase and has achieved it under the baton of three different coaches: Miguel Herrera, Santiago Solari and Fernando “Tano” Ortiz.

But those merits have been forgotten because the team has been prematurely eliminated in its quest for the title in each of these tournaments: quarterfinals from Guardianes 2020 to Apertura 2021 and semifinals in both Clausura and Apertura 2022. good regular phases have not reached them to reach a final in three years.

“Teams with solid defense are the ones that achieve things, so you have to focus on that while your teammates at the top continue to score goals,” said Araujo, who is competing for the spot in the cream-blue central defense along with Israel Reyes and the Uruguayan Sebastián Caceres.

Araujo’s analysis is aligned with the statistics of América in the first 12 days of the Clausura 2023. On the one hand, the team has the best offense with 27 goals scored, but it has also received 16 goals, which place it eighth in the ranking of better defenses, still below more irregular clubs in the table such as Cruz Azul and Atlético de San Luis.

The numbers show that the defensive stability in the management of “Tano” Ortiz has diminished. Throughout the Apertura 2022 América conceded 17 goals, the fourth lowest figure in the league, and currently, still with five games to go, they have already allowed 16. Also in the Clausura 2022, which was the first complete tournament for the Argentine directing the Águilas, finished with the second lowest number of goals conceded, but now it is far from that.

“I honestly think that the team has to try to play almost perfect games defensively. Last tournament and this one we have played very well, but we have had some inattentions or errors. América does score goals but they also score, so that’s what we have to improve, try to maintain that concentration”.

Néstor Araujo is playing his second tournament in América after a four-year period in the Spanish first division, however, it has been difficult for him to become an indisputable player for Fernando Ortiz, since in the 2022 Apertura he played 67% of the possible minutes in the regular phase and in the current Clausura 2023 he adds 58% until matchday 12, being relegated to the bench in key games such as visits to Tigres and Chivas.

But the former defender of Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul says he is aware of the high competition there is to be a starter within the Americanistas. He mentions that it’s something he likes and that it will help the team in the championship quest.

“In the end, what we all want is for America to be champion and for me it is perfect that this happens no matter what. I have to be ready, like all my colleagues who have not had to participate or have participated little, because the coach is going to use us at any time and to remain champions we need everyone”.

Liga MX is reactivated after the pause by FIFA Date

The duel between America y León is part of an interesting series of matches with which the Liga MX is reactivated after a one-week break due to the participation of the Mexican team in the Concacaf Nations League.

One of the special dishes of matchday 13 will be the 234th edition of the Clásico Tapatío, when Atlas receives Chivas at the Jalisco stadium on Saturday at 9:10 p.m. (from central Mexico). The herd seeks to rediscover victory in the league after suffering consecutive setbacks against América and Puebla that made them lose their place in the direct qualifying positions for the league.

Also on Saturday (5:00 p.m.), Pachuca will receive Cruz Azul seeking to climb to the sub-leadership with a combination of results. For its part, Ricardo Ferretti’s La Máquina wants to string together its fourth game without defeat and continue to consolidate itself in the table at least to be local in the playoff series.

On Sunday, Toluca and Tigres (12:00 pm) will wage another fight for the first four places in the table, with some devils who have won three of their last five games and who have not lost at home in this tournament yet, adding victories against Mazatlán FC, Atlético de San Luis and Cruz Azul, as well as draws against América and León.

The rest of matchday 13 will be played like this: Necaxa vs. Santos, Juárez vs. Puebla, Monterrey vs. Tijuana, Atlético de San Luis vs. Mazatlán FC and Querétaro vs. Pumas.