ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ other team will play the Yankees in late July.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC plays “the Yankees†on Tuesday.
Yes, City squares off in Leagues Cup play against Club America, the historic Mexican soccer team that seems to print pesos. I suppose the only difference between Club America and the New York Yankees is that Club America has actually won some titles recently.
Club America, in fact, won both titles last year in Liga MX, Mexico’s top pro soccer league, which is part of Leagues Cup with Major League Soccer.
The odds Tuesday are figuratively against ºüÀêÊÓƵ. Actually — literally, too. Per FanDuel, Club America’s moneyline to win is -170 (a $170 risk is needed to try to win $100), while City SC’s is +390 (a $100 risk would reap a $390 profit). There also is the option of picking the match to end in a draw not counting penalty kicks (+290).
Win or lose, the fact that City got this far in Leagues Cup (the round of 16) is worth any humiliation that might come in Tuesday’s game. See, heading into Leagues Cup, the regular season sure seemed over — so many injuries, so many losses (and ties, so many ties).
Oh, and the coach was fired.
But Leagues Cup play coincided with the arrival of multiple new players. And because City played strong soccer in the first three games, that meant three confidence-fueling experiences for the new guys (and the old guys).
I’m not saying City is going to make the MLS playoffs — let’s not get crazy — but I’m saying the rest of the season now is way more interesting.
And really, for ºüÀêÊÓƵans, becoming fans of this team meant going on the journey — round and round, year-round — and not necessarily season by season. So this latest spin took off about three games ago, when transfers and signees Marcel Hartel, Simon Becher and Cedric Teuchert debuted in City Red. And so, the final nine games of the regular season won’t feel like playing out the string but instead as building blocks. And there are more new players to meet, be it Henry Kessler or Jannes Horn.
And really, February will be here sooner than you know it for a new season.
“The new players that we’ve brought in (during) this window, you can see their quality right away,†City interim coach John Hackworth said Monday. “Now we’ve had enough time where the relationships have been built. Not fully, but they know each other’s tendencies — and it has obviously been very impactful for our team. ... And while it’s nice to have our attack and feeling that we’re capable of scoring goals, at the same time, our defense is doing a really good job, too.â€
But first, Tuesday. I’m not saying this is David vs. Goliath. But to use 2024 baseball, this is the 50-69 A’s vs. the 70-49 Yankees.
“I mean, look, it’s clearly one of the best clubs in Mexico but also in the world,†Hackworth said. “Their history is amazing; and we’re in our second season. So there’s a lot of (reasons) that you can say, ‘Oh, St Louis doesn’t have a shot.’ But the fact is, it’s just a football game where two opponents are playing each other. It’s in the round of 16. It’s a knockout game — we got here because we’ve been good. They got here because of who they are but also they won their last game. So we expect a great game. And I think fans all around the world will enjoy watching it.â€
As for “the Yankees†of Liga MX, Club America has dominated for decades — and ºüÀêÊÓƵan Mike Sorber experienced it firsthand. A key player on the 1994 U.S men’s national team in the World Cup, Sorber played two pro seasons in Mexico in the 1990s. He played for Pumas. He was the first American ever named an All-Star in Liga MX.
As for Club America, “It’s just a big, flashy club,†Sorber said by phone on Monday. “(The TV network) Televisa owns them, so they have deep pockets. And they play in Azteca Stadium. Back in the day, Pumas against Club America, 100,000 people would show up. It was fantastic. You know, money can control a lot of stuff and create a lot of popularity within Mexico.â€
Back living in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, Sorber attended last year’s Leagues Cup game against Club America at CityPark.
The visitors won 4-0. One of the goal scorers, Henry Martin, also netted one in the most recent game, a 2-1 win against Atlas last weekend.
“Obviously, there have been a lot of changes with City,†Sorber said. “They’re a little farther into the tournament now — they have to go out to Carson, (California), where, yeah, it’ll be pretty much a very pro Club America (fan base). It’ll be a good test. It’ll be a good review to see, ‘OK, how far has ºüÀêÊÓƵ come now in a short period of time with John Hackworth and some new players?’â€
Incidentally, these are crucial games for Hackworth, a well-liked member of the staff since the early days of the franchise. Down the stretch, if City fares well, how could they say “farewell†to Hackworth? But if the team falters in the final nine, of course City would consider hiring a new coach.
And if Hackworth pulls off the epic upset on Tuesday? Gosh, maybe pull the interim tag off his title right then.
“City has been playing much better as of late and no coincidence since they have players that can attack the other team,†another ºüÀêÊÓƵ soccer legend, Taylor Twellman, said via text on Monday. “However, there may not be a more complete team in North America than Club America. They are missing a few players, but still — quality all over the field. And it’s a bit ironic that Club America last year was the first sign of a downturn for City heading into the final stretch. So maybe just maybe this game is the one that turns the season around for City ... just maybe.â€
