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Liga MX: Cruz Azul starting new title drought (ha!)

By Thomas Buckley

Cruz Azul ended its interminable title drought by claiming the Guardianes 2021 trophy. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Cruz Azul ended its interminable title drought by claiming the Guardianes 2021 trophy. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /
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Juan Reynoso became the fifth person in Liga MX history to win a league title for the same team as both a head coach and as a player. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /

The Guardianes 2021 season has been put to bed in dramatic fashion, with Cruz Azul exorcising its 23½-year curse by winning its ninth Liga MX title, a triumph that puts the Cementeros back in good standing as a legitimate member of The Big Four. Thanks to “Cabecita” Rodríguez’s fast-break goal, “Blue Machine” fans are now experiencing what their fathers and grandfathers came to embrace as a birthright (Cruz Azul won seven league championships from 1969 to 1980).

When Cruz Azul won its previous title way back in December 1997, it was tied with América for second-most Liga MX championships (eight), and the two Mexico City clubs trailed only the Chivas (10). In the nearly 24 years since the Cementeros’ won that eighth star for their badge, the Aguilas pushed their trophy haul to 13 and the Chivas now count 12 pieces of hardware. In that same time frame, Toluca won seven titles to reach 10, knocking Cruz Azul down to No. 4 on the all-time Liga MX winners’ list.

Cruz Azul fans have until July 23 to savor their beloved team’s success. Then they can start worrying about how long it will take to win the next one.

Liga MX trivia that won’t earn you a free drink

  • It has been 50 years since Liga MX instituted a playoff system to determine its champion. And because a split-season calendar was adopted in summer 1996, the Guardianes 2021 marked the 75th edition of the Liga MX playoffs, aka the Liguilla.

    • In the 75

    Liguillas

    held thus far, the top two seeds have been solid bets to perform well. The No. 1 seed has now won two consecutive titles (León last season, Cruz Azul this season), while overall, 1s and 2s have claimed 43 of the 75 trophies to be had. The Cementeros were the 22nd No. 1 seed to become champs. Add on the 13 titles won by the third seed and it’s apparent that betting favorites have fared rather well.

    More from Liga MX

    Cruz Azul’s 40-year-old goalie Jesús Corona became the oldest player to win his first Liga MX title. The Guadalajara native debuted for Atlas on Feb. 26, 2003, and has played in more than 560 official games with the Zorros, Tecos UAG and Cruz Azul. On Sunday, Corona hoisted the winner’s trophy in his fifth Finals appearance (first with UAG Tecos-Clausura 2005; then three more with Cruz Azul-Apertura 2009, Clausura 2013; Apertura 2018).

  • The Cementeros were making their 17th appearance in a Liga MX Final. That’s second all-time to América (18). Cruz Azul’s opponent in the Guardianes 2021 Final – Santos Laguna – was playing in its 12th Final, tied for fourth-most all time with Toluca and the Tigres. In third place on this list are the Pumas who’ve been in the Grand Final 13 times.

    • If you’re thinking, “well, hey … where are the Chivas on this list?” I’d say good question, but then would be obliged to inform you that the 12-time Liga MX champs won eight of those titles before the playoff system was introduced in 1971. In all, Guadalajara has been in eight Liga MX Finals over the past 50 years, winning four and losing four.

    Champions as player and coach

    If this bit of trivia doesn’t win you a drink, then you need to find a better sports bar.

    On Sunday night, Juan Reynoso joined an exclusive club. By guiding “La Máquina Azul” to the Guardianes 2021 championship, he became the fifth person to win a Liga MX title with the same team as player and coach. The Peruvian hoisted the trophy as captain of the Cementeros’ Invierno 1997 team, the last time Cruz Azul won the league.

    Reynoso joins four others who turned the trick (I know, I’d earlier suggested there were six others, but diligent research revealed that to be mistaken).

    The Fab Five also includes:

    Carlos Reinoso – América (1970-71 and 1975-76 as player; 1983-84 as coach)

    Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti – UNAM (1979-80 and 1989-90 as player; Clausura 2009 as coach)

    Hugo Sánchez – UNAM (1976-77 and 1980-81 as player; Clausura 2004 and Apertura 2004 as coach)

    Javier de la Torre – Chivas (Verano 1997 as player; Apertura 2006 as coach)

    Reynoso also became the first ex-Cruz Azul player to coach the Cementeros to a Liga MX title (whether or not they’d won one as a player). The three-time Peruvian league Coach of the Year is the 10th former Cruz Azul player to take the reins of the club as a manager.

    He is the fourth to take the team to the Finals, following in the footsteps of Héctor Pulido (4-time champ as a player, but loser to Chivas in 1986-87 Final), Enrique “Ojitos” Meza (lost Apertura 2009 Final to Monterrey) and Benjamín Galindo (a teammate of Reynoso’s on the 1997 champions, but a loser to Toluca in the Apertura 2008 Final). Ironically, “El Maestro” Galindo did coach Santos Laguna to the Clausura 2012 title.

    Next. El Tri defeats Iceland. dark

    As such, it would seem a certainty that Juan Reynoso has earned himself a bust in the Cruz Azul Hall of Fame.

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