Club América is one of the most storied clubs in North American soccer history and will most definitely be the best team IMFC will have played on its historic Champions League run. But as the old expression goes, “to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best!”
Here’s all the need-to-know info about the team standing in the way of an appearance in the Club World Cup for the bleu-blanc-noir.
1. Club América, founded in 1916, is based in Mexico City and is known by the following three monikers: Las Águilas (The Eagles), Los Azulcremas, (The Blue-Creams), Los Millonetas (The Millionaires).
2. The team plays its home games at the storied Estadio Azteca, which holds 105,064 spectators and has the highest attendance numbers in Mexico, eighth most in the world.
3. The team’s Uruguayan manager Gustavo Matosas is a former player with Malaga in Spain and San Lorenzo in Argentina, before becoming a coach in 2002, winning two Liga MX titles with Leon in 2013 and 2014. He took over the reins at Club América in December, 2014.
4. The Eagles are the most titled club in Mexican first division soccer, having won 12 championships, which makes it one of the most popular clubs in Mexico. However, it also has the dubious distinction of being the most hated organization as fans see the big spending club as representing the establishment.
5. Two of América’s players will be in action Wednesday, in San Antonio, on international duty, with striker Oribe Peralta representing Mexico in a matchup versus teammate and defender Ventura Alvarado with the US.
6. The club is currently in fourth place in the Clausura season, with a 6-3-4 record for 22 points – just two points shy of first overall.
7. Peralta, who is leading the team in scoring in the regular season (5 goals) is also the Champions League tournament leader with five, tied with three others, including teammate Martin Zuniga.
8. Club América qualified for the Champions League as the 2013 Apertura runners-up, and until this edition, had never played past the group stage under its current format.
9. The Eagles finished tops in its group during the group phase, ahead of Communicaciones from Guatemala and Puerto Rico Bayamon, with three wins and one draw, taking the second seed from the eight quarterfinalists.
10. In the knockout stage, América went on to take out two Costa Rican teams, topping Saprissa 5-0 on aggregate in the QF’s before eliminating Herediano 6-3 in the semifinal series.
