Liga MX

The Portland Timbers’ left-back Jorge Villafana is reportedly on his way to Liga MX club Santos Laguna for a transfer fee of just under $1 million. Villafana was a crucial part of the Timbers defense that led Portland to their first ever MLS Cup title. 

While leading Portland in both appearances and minutes played throughout the course of the campaign, Villafana also chipped in with a goal and four assists from the fullback position. 

There was a lot of action in Liga MX this week, with Club America and Pumas de la UNAM going at it in the Apertura semifinal.

Not only was America beaten by their city rivals, but they were beaten so badly that Americanistas couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Their team completely fell apart at El Estadio Azteca. The fortress of Las Aguilas del America. Well it wasn’t a fortress that day and for many reasons.These are five reasons why Club America were dominated by Pumas. 

FIFA’s Club World Cup is back this winter, with new faces set to duel it out for the prestigious club trophy. Seven teams compete in the tournament. One host team and six teams representing their specific regions. This includes winners of the AFC Champions League, CAF Champions League, CONCACAF Champions League, Copa Libertadores, OFC Champions League and UEFA Champions League. Club America is CONCACAF's representative.

When Andre-Pierre Gignac first transferred from Marseille in Ligue 1 to  Tigres in Liga MX, my esteemed coworker Sam Klomhaus said something along the lines of, “What!?

Most of the football world will be focused on Spain this weekend, where Real Madrid and Barcelona renew El Clasico. However, Liga MX concludes their regular season this weekend and seven of the nine matches have playoff implications.

In Mexico, the top eight finishers move onto the playoffs, where they are paired 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5 in the first round of the tournament. Pumas has locked up first place and are joined by Toluca, Tigres, America and Leon as having clinched a playoff berth.

The Estadio Azteca will play host to the biggest match in Mexican football on Saturday afternoon as manager Matias Almeyda guides his Chivas team against Club America. Almeyda was appointed to replace the sacked Jose Manuel de la Torre as Guadalajara’s new chief on September 15th and will look to build off of last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Querataro. The Argentinean coach will look to captain Omar Bravo for scoring against America’s defense, which leads Liga MX with five clean sheets in nine games.

I am not one to say "I told you so."

That was a bold-faced lie. I am totally one to say "I told you so," and that's why I am saying "I told you so."

Or, rather, I almost told you so.

Some months ago I wrote an article that argued the merits of Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona and joining Liga MX side Queretaro.

Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona have had a weird last ten days.  Barca hoisted the UEFA Super Cup trophy in Tbilisi, Georgia on August 11th thanks to a 117th minute goal from Pedro that defeated a Sevilla team 5-4. Sevilla had clawed back from a 4-1 second half deficit to send the game into extra time.

Tigres fans were advised to be cautious in and around El Estadio Monumental in Argentina on Wednesday night. With soccer hooligans running amok, authorities were afraid brawls would break out between the two opposing fan bases.

The shadow of the Buenos Aires stadium on the pavement gave passersby an eerie calmness, even though the stadium was about to host the final of South America’s most well-known club tournament. The stadium, home to River Plate, was about to host the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final. An intense showdown between two sides was imminent.

Tigres has reached the final of the 2015 Copa Libertadores. Beating one of Brazil's most well-known sides, Internacional, along the way. In what was a spirited match by the Mexican side, Inter could just not cope with Los Felinos in front of a sold out crowd at El Volcan Football Stadium in Nuevo Leon Mexico.