WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, CRUZ AZUL?

Cruz Azul’s streak of 6 consecutive victories ended. And to no one’s surprise, the person responsible for cutting it was none other than Club América.

What’s wrong with Cruz Azul, that every time they face América they seem to encounter ‘ghosts’ from the past. Arriving at a good or bad time, it seems that everything ends when they come across the yellow shirt.

Since that streak of 12 consecutive victories by Juan Reynoso (which ultimately ended with a lead and championship), I do not remember a Cruz Azul team that seemed so convinced of a game idea and that went over their rivals as they were. doing in these past days with Martín Anselmi.

These numbers and what the cement team showed during 8 weeks invited us to think that – for the first time in a long time – the machine would arrive as a wide favorite in the young classic, and again we were wrong.

This forecast lasted 4 minutes. Yes, FOUR minutes were enough to realize it would happen again. That again America would emerge well from a confrontation against the machine. And after Quiñones’ goal, the game turned to one team during the first half.

For example, four goals disallowed; 3 to Julián Quiñones and one to Diego Valdés, who if they had been more focused and timed the last touch, the match could have ended in a azulcrema rout.

For the second half, André Jardine understood that the team was getting tired and that there were important games coming up in the future, so he decided to back off, delay lines and simply get through the game. The plan worked out perfectly, since Ángel Malgaón did not have much work to do even when the possession percentage was 71% light blue.

The question is, What happened to you, Cruz Azul?

Why against the rival that matters most? Why against the only one your fans can’t forgive losing? It seems difficult to find the answer outside of the most repeated one; America makes them afraid.

But let’s put this weekend’s defeat behind us and look forward. The machine’s next rival will be – nothing more and nothing less – than Guadalajara. Fernando Gago’s Chivas are coming off an important victory against Pumas and, in addition, have the incentive that Chicharito Hernández is officially back on the field.

Cruz Azul’s bad game against América can now remain as a bad anecdote or become the beginning of doubts for Anselmi’s project. This. It will only depend on the performance and result they obtain in the next matchday against Chivas.

And after marveling, liking and scoring goals; having added 18 points from the last 18 played… accumulating two consecutive defeats against the most popular teams in the country would only result in a serious question about the true level of the cement producers.

The match, by the way, will be played outside what has been the ‘fortress’ for those in blue, since they found their old home at the Ciudad de lo Deportes Stadium, where memories and anecdotes have led the team to feel again with his people. This, far from bringing good news, could bring bad news.

The Azteca Stadium will be the venue and this involves the thousands of chiva brothers in the capital being present to support and make their team feel local. And if we add to this the expectation generated by the return of Javier Hernández to the ‘colossus of Santa Úrsula’, the combination gives us a scenario where cement workers can feel far from home.

Chicharito is back ahead of budget and this makes Gago’s team even stronger. As an example, since his arrival at the red and white club, the fans have turned out as they did not long ago. And Hernández did not need to be on the field and his simple presence was enough for the team to show a different face.

6 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat are the numbers of the sacred flock since the announcement of Chicharito, who for now has only contributed with few minutes on the field, but is ready to feel increasingly useful and probably already dreams of making his first goal (after his return) at the Azteca Stadium.

For those from Guadalajara, Mexico City is better known as ‘The red and white capital’ and they have made it clear at every opportunity. Giving special receptions at airports, bringing serenades to the hotel and singing in the stands of the Azteca Stadium.

Your time has come, Cruz Azul. Your time has come, Martín Anselmi. For this Cruz Azul that once again excited his fans for the umpteenth time and does not want to throw overboard what was achieved at the start.

It is time to show that they can get up from bad times and that they can learn from mistakes. That the idea and the illusion are still intact, and as painful as a defeat is, this time, the team is up for something more.

For now, and throughout the week, no one will remove Cruz Azul from the general leadership and it will depend only on them to ensure that this situation remains the same.

Double your first deposit up to $5,000 to bet on sports and casino games at mexplay.mx