Several Americans will have hopes of leading their team to a major trophy as the Liga MX Apertura Liguilla field has been finalized.
Jonathan Gonzalez and Monterrey headline the field after cruising through the regular season en route to a first-place finish. Gonzalez appeared in 15 league matches this season, rapidly becoming one of the league’s top midfield anchors. Los Rayados lost just twice in 17 league matches this season and will now take on eighth-place Atlas to open the postseason.
William Yarbrough and Club Leon face a much tougher task heading into a clash with Jose Torres and second-seeded Tigres. They held onto a postseason spot despite losing their last two regular season matches, finishing sixth with 26 points from 17 matches. Torres and Tigres, last season’s Apertura winners, finished second five points behind Monterrey.
The final American in the postseason field is Toluca forward Rodrigo Lopez, who joined the club on loan in May. The former Sacramento Republic forward failed to score in nine appearances, but Toluca’s fifth-place finish sealed a matchup with Morelia.
Meanwhile, several Americans missed out on the postseason. Club Tijuana’s Alejandro Guido, Joe Corona, Michael Orozco finished four points out of eighth place while Omar Gonzalez and Pachuca finished two points behind Xolos in 12th place.
Here’s a full look at the Liga MX playoff picture:
(1) Monterrey vs. (8) Atlas
(2) Tigres vs. (7) Club Leon
(3) Club America vs. (6) Cruz Azul
(4) Morelia vs. (5) Toluca