Eagles of era

Club América is going through one of the best moments in its history. The arrival of André Jardine seems to have been the cherry on top of this (squad’s) cake.

The numbers for the “azulcrema” had been good for several years. With Santiago Solari, a period began where defensive solidity characterized the team from Coapa, and although they weren’t spectacular, they were quite effective. This team finished the season with a record number of points, but when it came to the final phase, they didn’t go beyond the quarterfinals.

Then came Fernando Ortíz, who arrived as an assistant coach, managed to steer the team in the right direction, and stayed for three seasons. Same case, the numbers were very good, and moreover, this team was more offensive and pleased the crowd. However, they fell in the semifinals three times.

There were no explanations as to why the title didn’t arrive, as during that time, América was always in the top 3 of the league table, even leading in several tournaments.

But the third time was the charm. André Jardine became responsible for putting the cherry on top of this process that had been going well for seasons and only lacked crowning it with a title.

In the case of the Brazilian strategist, it turned out to be a combination of what Solari and Ortíz proposed. The current Brazilian coach achieved the perfect balance in his team by finishing the previous tournament as the best defensively and offensively. Can it get any better?

After winning the title and when everything seemed to be joyous, fear seized the América fans. The team displayed spectacular football, and the level of each of its players was outstanding, attracting interest from several clubs around the world to acquire their services. An exodus seemed imminent.

Fortunately for them, the squad mostly remained intact, and offers from Europe didn’t materialize. As a result, this team plays even better than the one that lifted the title just a few months ago and aims to conquer all the titles in front of them. They are currently leading in Liga MX and semifinalists in the Concacaf.

It’s inevitable not to fall into comparisons and wonder if this América could reach historic levels in the future.

Looking back, simply comparing them already makes us wonder if this team could really reach those levels at some point.

Let’s start with the team of the 70s, where the duo of Enrique Borja and Reinoso amazed in that era scoring goals by the dozens. They won 2 titles in that decade.

Entering the glorious 80s is already talking about major achievements. Multiple titles, the three-peat, the historic final against Chivas. Again, it’s not even close to being an option for comparison now, but they wish and aspire that such a situation could be posed soon.

Regarding playing style, it’s curious that the most remembered team is Leo Beenhakker’s. That season of 94/95 didn’t manage to lift the title; however, 30 years later, it’s still present in the minds of fans. The playing style of that team marveled with scandalous goal victories and a fully offensive stamp that even made those who didn’t follow the yellow team enjoy.

Today, going to the numbers of that squad isn’t far off for Jardine’s team, as the routs and offensive style have also characterized the current squad. Moreover, the goal average isn’t too far off; considering they scored 2.4 per game in the 90s, and today they have a rate of 2 per match.

When it comes to effectiveness, it turns out that the Brazilian’s squad is already better; with more victories, fewer draws, and fewer losses. And of course, a title backs them up, although back then, the tournament was in a long format, making them hardly comparable.

Talking about more recent times may lead us to Mario Carrillo’s team, where with Kleber, Piojo López, and Cuauhtémoc Blanco, they became a lethal team and also secured a title.

The debate will never end, and as long as the discussion is based on perception and preferences, nobody will have the absolute truth. What can be mentioned, with complete certainty, is that this América is dazzling and is on track to achieve more titles and objectives that will bring it closer to being considered one of the best in history.

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