The Mexico City giants are top seeds in the Leagues Cup, a designation based on points earned over the final 34 games of the 2023 regular season, and Las Águilas remained excellent in this year’s Clausura (spring) campaign, finishing first in the regular-season table before going unbeaten in the liguilla (playoffs) to win their second straight title and 15th overall.
Coach André Jardine has thrived during his year-and-a-bit in charge, compiling a 36W-11L-16D record and making the perennial powerhouse solid and stylish. América has long been one of Mexico’s richest and most widely followed clubs. The Brazilian, who led his country to a gold medal at the Olympics in Japan three years ago, has ensured they are rarely, if ever, below their weight.
Here, however, we should probably point out that Columbus far outclassed America in the group stage of last year’s Leagues Cup, a victory by 4-1 at Lower.com Field that essentially sparked the winning streak that propelled them to MLS Cup glory.
