Club America enters the 11th weekend of the Liga MX regular season undefeated but in second place. Such is life in a sport where draws are possible.
Las Aguilas have been rolling along in both league play and the CONCACAF Champions League but a recent run of draws have them sitting just behind Santos Laguna.
Leon envies that position, sitting in 11th and out of the playoff places. After a victory last weekend in league action and a blowout win during the week in Copa MX play, there's a buzz around the Camp Nou that hasn't been there yet this season.
Will America flex its muscle and move back to the top or can the visitors spring a surprise and push into the playoff places?
| Game | America vs. Leon |
| Date | Saturday, March 10 |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| Stream (U.S. only) | fuboTV (7-day free trial) |
LIVE STREAM
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SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Club America players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Marchesin, Pineda, Jimenez |
| Defenders | Vargas, Alvarez, Aguilera, Valdez, Aguilar, Cedillo |
| Midfielders | Rodriguez, Da Silva, Uribe, Dominguez, Corona, Arce, Orrantia, Ibarguen, Paredes, Ibarra, Lainez |
| Forwards | Romero, Menez, Marin, Diaz, Martin, Peralta, Quintero |
Miguel Herrera looks to have settled into a preferred starting XI when his squad is fit, as it is ahead of Saturday's match barring Emanuel Aguilera, who likely will be replaced by Edson Alvarez as he was in Tuesday's CONCACAF Champions League match. While Herrera used many first-choice players against Tauro FC in CCL play, he utilized attackers Oribe Peralta and Cecilio Dominguez and midfielder Mateus Uribe sparingly.
Potential starting XI: Marchesin; Aguilar, Valdez, Alvarez, Vargas; Uribe, Rodriguez; Ibarra, Menez, Dominguez; Peralta
| Position | Leon players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Rodriguez, Yarbrough |
| Defenders | Burdisso, Piris, Navarro, Torres, Herrera, Cornejo, Rodriguez, Mosquera, Gonzalez |
| Midfielders | Burbano, Hernandez, Montes, Andrade, Mejia, Cecchini, Lainez, Cerato, Rodriguez |
| Forwards | Ramos, Boselli, Gonzalez, Barnes, Donovan |
Landon Donovan wasn't in the squad for Leon's cup win with illness, though the team hopes he will travel to Mexico City. Center back Juan Ignacio Gonzalez underwent surgery on his injured knee last week and will miss the rest of the season.
Potential starting XI: Yarbrough; Navarro, Mosquera, Herrera, Rodriguez; Rodriguez, Cornejo; Hernandez, Montes, Andrade; Boselli
GAME PREVIEW
Refugio Ruiz
Miguel Herrera's America team is the favorite to win the league and the CONCACAF Champions League. America is yet to suffer defeat in league play, yet sits second after a recent spell of draws. The most recent was a 1-1 result against Chivas in the Clasico Nacional.
That's acceptable, even for a club that Herrera is fond of reminding reporters wants to win the title every season. He's aware, though, that the team does need to start winning again at some point.
The opportunity presents itself this weekend with Leon coming to the Estadio Azteca. Not only has America been strong at home this season, Leon has lost its last three road matches.
Even so, enthusiasm is on the rise in Guanajuato about Gustavo Diaz's side. Leon rolled past Pumas last weekend in a 3-0 victory that put Diaz's charges into 11th place in the table, just one point out of the playoff positions.
The question marks are in defense where Miguel Herrera (not that one, obviously) has stepped in for the injured Juan Ignacio Gonzalez. Herrera has struggled to get up to speed in the top division before, and against a front line that includes Oribe Peralta, Renato Ibarra and Jeremy Menez, it could be a long day for the center back.
For America, it's about preventing an early goal. The last three weeks, Las Aguilas have gone behind and had to battle back to get a point. If they can start stronger, they should be back on top of the table with a little help this week.
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