Once more unto the breach my friends - for the final time this year, we wade back into the waters of Liga MX for one of the juiciest finals in recent memory. América vs Tigres!
With a win, should Tigres be officially considered a GRANDE? Are they already?!
If América wins, will anyone be able to shut up the Américanistas next year (well, until the Clausura starts up in a few weeks - already?! Yeah, I know...)
If you’ve been participating in our Quiniela throughout the Liguilla, you know the drill. But if you haven’t yet, don’t miss out and join before tonight’s game to compete for this week’s top prize. Enter cabragaming.com to make an entry. Hurry though as the contest closes TONIGHT, Thursday, December 14th at 7pm PT / 10pm ET.
Read below for our analysis on the final or check out our predictions video over on IG.
(pssst, we’ve gone 5-1 in picking winners this Liguilla, just sayin’ … )
TIGRES ANALYSIS
Why they’ll win:
Yes, América are the #1 overall seed in the Liguilla, but are they really better than Tigres? Tigres arguably has the best and more experienced player at every single level of the pitch.
Goalie? Guzman over Malagon.
Defense? Pizarro over a mistake-prone Caceres.
Midfield? Much more even, but give the edge to Carioca over Jonathan Dos Santos.
Striker? Gignac over Martin, and by A LOT.
Tigres are also entering the final much more battle tested, as América only had to face the 7th and 8th seed on the road to the final. While Tigres beat the 4th and 6th seeds, teams that featured arguably the best player in the league this season, Chino Huerta; and the leagues 2nd-highest goal scorer, Memo Martinez.
Lastly, besides the championship pedigree and being battle tested, Tigres also have a few ex-America players who will be eager to get revenge on their old clubs, Diego Lainez and Sebastian Cordova.
Why they WON’T win:
Despite Tigres having the experience and Championship pedigree, América are simply the better team and in much better form. América entered the Liguilla as the #1 overall seed, and have won 5 of their last 7 games, while Tigres has only won 2 of their last 7.
Also, the one position in which Tigres were supposed to have the clear advantage (striker), is not looking so clear now. As Andre-Pierre Gignac is battling some injuries and it’s uncertain whether or not he will get the start in the Final.
Meanwhile, Henry Martin has erased all doubt if whether or not he could show up in the Liguilla, with 4 goals in 4 games so far. Lastly, America has DOMINATED Tigres over the last 4 years, winning 9 of last 11 meetings, and only losing once. Which could play a factor psychologically to Tigres’ disadvantage.
AMÉRICA ANALYSIS
Why they’ll win:
Goals, goals, and more goals.
Club America’s attack and their ability to score is second to none. They've scored the most goals during the Apertura regular season and just had a semifinal matchup where they put 5 goals in the back of the net. Their goal-scoring prowess is only the tip of the iceberg for this team.
What separates this team from the rest of the pack is their capacity to stay disciplined and win on the road. They’ve reduced their mistakes in the back, proven by their three clean sheets within the past five matches, and are a team that hasn’t had a loss in their last 9 away appearances. This team is special, and destiny is on their side.
Why they WON’T win:
Maybe, it’s just not meant to be.
Las Aguilas have been a team that performs well in the regular season, but hasn’t developed that clutch gene needed to win in a very demanding Liga MX playoff format. No one is questioning Club America’s attack, but the unsteadiness of their back-line may prove fatal to their championship hopes.
They’ve had inconsistency from the right-back position where they keep swapping Miguel Layun and Kevin Alvarez. The worry doesn’t stop there, as their starting center-back, Igor Lichnovsky, has been rated poorly in recent matches and had to be pulled from their last game in 46th minute.
This team has been dominant all season, but if there's any squad out there to take full advantage of America’s lackluster defense, it’s the striped team from Monterrey.
HOW TO PLAY OPENING LEG
Take Las Aguilas and hedge with a Draw / No Bet (currently -110 odds). América hasn’t lost a single away game this season and we don’t expect one to happen now.
Random Memory of the Day
17 years ago, this Liga MX club won one of Mexico’s biggest triumphs in international club futbol. Do you remember who they were?
Good luck to everyone this week for the final week of the Liguilla Quiniela. Stay tuned to this newsletter as we prepare for the Clausura kickoff in January!
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