Will Club America break its SEMIFINAL CURSE?
The Liga MX Liguilla semifinals are here - get your picks for the CABRA Quiniela in TONIGHT!
We’re back with another edition Café Asada, thanks to all those who have subscribed (over 2K+ readers!).
And with the Liga MX Liguilla semifinals kicking off tonight, we have another round of the CABRA Liguilla to complete! If you missed participating in the Quarterfinals, don’t worry - you can still enter today and compete for this week’s top prize by creating an entry on cabragaming.com. Make sure you hurry though as the contest CLOSES Wednesday, December 6th at 7pm PT / 10pm ET.
Read below for our takes on the upcoming semifinal matches and how to play the next slate of Liguilla games! (we went 3-1 last week, just sayin’…)
SEMIFINALS ANALYSIS
Club America vs Atletico San Luis
The stage is set for a thrilling semifinal showdown between two formidable contenders: San Luis and Club America. The semifinal promises a spectacle of skill, determination, and raw passion as both sides vie for a coveted spot in the final. Surprisingly, the players aren’t the main headline in this matchup, since Club America’s manager, Andre Jardine, will be facing his former team in San Luis as well.
San Luis' Resurgence: San Luis has been the revelation of the season, defying expectations and proving themselves as genuine contenders for the championship. Under the guidance of their astute coach, Juan Martinez, the team has displayed a brand of ball that is both attractive and effective. San Luis is unexpectedly led by a 5’7’’ maestro in the midfield, Dieter Villalpando, who although came to the team via a free transfer, wears the number 10 jersey and has been the team’s most consistent player. It should also be mentioned that Unai Bilbao, the central defender who achieved the best player rating in their previous Liguilla matches, will need to be almost perfect if San Luis even has a chance to pull off the upset.
Club America's Semifinal Curse: On the other side of the pitch, Club America, a perennial powerhouse in Mexican football, is eyeing yet another league title….but hasn’t made it past the Semifinals since the 2018-2019 season! The seasoned campaigners in Club America's ranks, including the prolific forward, Henry Martin, who scored 3 of the team's total 4 goals in the previous matchup against Leon and Julian Quinones are a combination that no team has figured out how to slow down this season. There is no question that Club America will score goals, their main question mark (per usual) is found in the defense and goalkeeping. Nonetheless, this semifinal clash allows Club America to break their recent semifinal curse and take another step toward adding to their storied legacy.
Prediction: Club America breaks the curse and advances on a 4-2 goal aggregate.
Tigres vs Pumas
Unlike the other semifinal, this one is expected to be a DOG fight (or should we say cat fight?).
Both teams are coming off big 3-0 wins in their home-leg Quarterfinals with monster performances from Andre-Pierre Gignac and Chino Huerta, for Tigres and Pumas respectively.
In the regular season Pumas took the 2-1 win, however Tigres will still be the ones advancing to the final.
As the defending champions, the higher-seed, and with 6 titles to their name since Pumas’s last title; Gignac’s Tigres have proven to have a championship pedigree that Pumas can’t match.
Prediction: Tigres shows their might and experience, advancing 4-2 on aggregate.
Pick: Tigres 4-2 Pumas (on aggregate)
BONUS PROP PICKS
Prop pick #1 - Sebastian Cordova - anytime goalscorer
Cordova has scored in 4 straight away games in the Liguilla, and in 7 of his last 9 Liguilla games overall dating back to last season.
Prop pick #2 -Club America vs San Luis OVER 2.5 goals
Two of only 3 teams in Liga MX this season to score 30+ goals. Two of only 3 teams from the quarterfinals round that scored in both legs.
Good luck to everyone this week in the Quiniela!
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