Tigres and America clash in the finals of the 2016 Liga MX Apertura playoffs, the two-legged final taking place on Thursday, December 22nd and Sunday, December 25th. America are looking for title number 13 in their centennial season while Tigres seek their fifth championship. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the match, either live streaming online or on TV through your cable provider.
America hold a slender advantage heading into the second leg of their semifinal with Necaxa after scoring a vital away goal and earning a 1-1 draw.
However, if this match was anything to go by, the return leg in Mexico City will feature two evenly matched sides, and Necaxa will still believe that the final is within reach.
Tigres are one slip-up free home game away from the Liga MX finals. They defeated Leon 1-0 in the first leg on the back of an Andre-Pierre Gignac goal.
The Andre Pierre-Gignac goal that has @TigresOficial on top. pic.twitter.com/tBk9DIHqx8
— Jonny Rico Aviles (@Jonyrico) December 1, 2016
Queretaro vs. Toluca in the Copa MX semis was a classic goalkeepers' duel, which is a roundabout way of saying it was a 0-0 draw.
So hats off to Alfredo Talavera (Toluca) and Tiago Volpi (Queretaro), and no one else.
Both players earned clean sheets, saved penalties and even both scored penalties in the shootout. In the end, Volpi made one more save than Talavera, and so Queretaro advanced to the final (8-7), where they'll play the winner of tonight's Superclasico.
Jonathan Urretaviscaya excercises. that much we can tell from his long sprint down the field that turned into a golazo against Chivas Sunday. He ran from his own 18 to the Chivas 18 with the ball and still had the energy to neatly chip the keeper. We would have collapsed in a sad heap somewhere near the halfway line, which is one of many reasons we are not a professional soccer player.
For more on Urretaviscaya's goal, let's check in with The18 amazing goals correspondent Surprised Koala. Surprised Koala, what did you think of Urretaviscaya's goal?
Puebla midfielder Christian "Hobbit" Bermudez is apparently in jail for not paying his child support.
And he's got visitors!
Jugadores del Puebla visitaron al Hobbit Bermúdez en el Reclusorio Norte. pic.twitter.com/iYejqdv2NJ
— Andre Marín (@andremarinpuig) August 30, 2016
America completed a perfect group stage in the Apertura 2016 Copa MX by defeating Zacatecas 2-0 on Wednesday night. The highlight of the match was certainly Ecuadorian attacker Michael Arroyo’s ridiculous scissor kick in the 24th minute.
With qualification for the knockout stage already secured, you could’ve forgiven America for looking ahead to Saturday’s Super Clasico against Chivas. With neither side in particularly inspiring Liga MX form going into the showdown, America’s unblemished record in the Copa could give them some vital momentum.
Carlos Salcedo’s remarkable rise from unknown youngster training with Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake to representing the Mexico national team with regularity reached another milestone on Sunday. Chivas Guadalajara confirmed that the 22-year-old defender will spend the year on loan with Italy’s Fiorentina.
Tijuana's Aviles Hurtado had a very good Saturday. How do we know this? Because it's always a good day when you score a goal like this:
Avilés Hurtado adelanta a Xolos con un remate espectacular. https://t.co/Q4krYqEKOU
— Univision Deportes (@UnivisionSports) August 6, 2016
Tigers kick-started their 2016 Liga MX Apertura campaign with a fantastic 3-0 victory over Club America at the Azteca Stadium. Javier Aquino scored an unbelievable goal in the 38th minute, Andre-Pierre Gignac added another with a sublime chip in the 59th and Ismael Sosa delivered the final nail in the coffin in the final moments of the match.
With America entering the match undefeated and Tigres having to settle for two opening draws, the visitors closed the gap between the sides to a single point.