And speaking of their trajectory, in the case of successful coaches, immediately certain names come to mind, referring to those coaches who succeed, in a short period of time, to leave a mark on the clubs they train. André Jardine is one of them, the Brazilian currently managing Club América in Mexico. It was last Wednesday that he sealed the position of the most titled coach in the history of the Mexican club, as he lifted the Campeones Cup, making it a total of five trophies since he was signed on to the team in 2023.
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Campeones Cup: a title which speaks volumes of persistence and skill
The Campeones Cup is a competition that brings together the champions of Major League Soccer and Liga MX. In other words, it's a battle of giants, pitting the best teams from the U.S. and Mexico against each other. In the 2024 edition at Lower.com Field, home of the Columbus Crew, América faced off against the reigning MLS champions in an exciting match.
It was one of those games that took some time to get going, but like all great shootouts, it really heated up in the second half. Jardine made the right tactical adjustments to keep América competitive, even away from home. Dávila opened the scoring for the Mexicans, and Amundsen tied it up for the Americans. Again, the brilliance of Jardine shone during the penalty shootout. América then won the title with a 5-4 win on penalties, adding another coveted trophy to Jardine's already impressive résumé.
Success story
The career of André Jardine had several highlights; above all, the regularity with which he got results. Since his arrival at Club América, not only did he start to win games, but he managed to turn the team into a title-winning machine. And his formula is simple but effective: organization, sharp tactical awareness, and an outstanding capacity for adaptation. América from Jardine plays pragmatic soccer but without losing that offensive flair that characterizes Latin American soccer.
In over a year in the club, Jardine has won five titles: Torneo Apertura y Clausura from Liga MX, the Supercopa of Mexico, the Campeón de Campeones, and now the Campeones Cup. These trophies themselves say a lot to those people who doubted he could handle a team with such a high magnitude.
The Brazilian mentor has somehow managed to combine América's mentality of winning with his philosophy of the game to build a strong team in both defense and offense.
Building legacy
The Campeones Cup put André Jardine above historical names at Club América, like Raúl Cárdenas, Jorge Vieira, and Miguel Herrera. But it is not about the numbers but how the legacy is being built at a record speed. Not many coaches can leave their fingerprint so strongly on a club like América in such a short period of time.
More than the wins, it has to do with knowing full well the weight that comes with leading a club like this. This goes beyond just lifting many-colored pieces of footballing silverware to entrenching a mentality-which he has done marvelously. He's worked his way into a position where the board and players trust him, and that trust has come from hard work and a clear vision for the future.