América, led by coach André Jardine, won their second Mexican championship by beating Cruz Azul 1-0 in the early hours of this Monday. The victory, obtained with a goal from captain Henry Martín, guaranteed the Americanists the title of the Clausura tournament of the Mexican Championship just five months after the club had also won the Apertura. The biggest national champion with fifteen trophies, América celebrated its first two-time championship in 35 years. At the time, the capital team was also
led by a Brazilian, coach Jorge Vieira.
Owner of the best campaign in the first phase both in Apertura 23 and now, in Clausura 24, América confirmed its favoritism on both occasions by winning both Liguillas – as the Mexicans call the knockout phase from the quarter-finals onwards.
With the two titles, the team also automatically won the Champion of Champions trophy, which traditionally puts the winners of the Apertura and Clausura face to face before the start of the following season in Mexico.
“It was a great night. A classic with a packed Azteca is always a reward for football and for those who love this sport. Our group deserves it, for the hard work it has done and the talents it has been able to bring together”, celebrated André Jardine.
“We are making history and we don’t think about stopping. Joyful, efficient and offensive football gives results and marks people’s memories. We know how difficult it will be to stay at the top, but this is the kind of challenge that motivates us to get up early every morning”, concluded the Brazilian.
Ex-São Paulo and Olympic team, for which he was champion in Tokyo in 2021, the 44-year-old coach from Rio Grande do Sul arrived in Mexican football in 2022, to manage Atlético de San Luis. After good campaigns, leading a modest team to the Liguilla for the first time on two occasions, Jardine aroused the interest of América, the club with the biggest fans in the country. In his first tournament, the Brazilian ended a 5-year drought without titles for his new club and now repeats the feat.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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