Another round in the Concacaf Champions League for LAFC, another giant from Liga MX. This time it's Cruz Azul lining up opposite the Black & Gold in the CCL quarterfinals.
The Liga MX side known as La Máquina is one of the most successful clubs in Mexico's history, both domestically and internationally. Cruz Azul has won the championship in Liga MX on eight occasions - fourth all-time among Liga MX clubs. They've also lifted the Concacaf Champions League trophy six times, second only to Club America. And Cruz Azul was the first Concacaf side to reach the final of the prestigious Copa Libertadores tournament.
But despite the history, much of Cruz Azul's success has been just that. History. La Máquina hasn't topped Liga MX since 1997 and their last CCL trophy was in 2014. Recent history has been kind Cruz Azul, as they've missed the liguilla playoffs multiple times, though they did manage to win a Leagues Cup, Copa MX, and Super Copa in the past two years.
Here's a quick primer on Cruz Azul:
Home Stadium: Estadio Azteca
Liga MX titles: 8
Concacaf Champions League titles: 6
Current Liga MX position: 1st, 19 points
- Cruz Azul has won its last five matches in Liga MX and sits one point ahead of second-placed León.
- Cruz Azul leads the 2020 Clausura in goals scored and goal differential
Top Scorer: Jonathan Rodríguez - 8 goals
Other Players To Watch:
- Roberto Alvarado - leads Liga MX 2020 Clausura in assists with five.
- Elias Hernandez - four goals and four assists in the 2020 Clausura.
- José Corona - won Olympic gold medal with Mexico at 2012 Olympics in London, 55 appearances in career for Mexico
