The history of Mexican soccer has witnessed the rivalry between Pumas and America; it is the differences between one institution and the other that have set the tone in this sense, especially in the past. While the Eagles spent millions to bring in the best possible players, UNAM has always distinguished itself by protecting their first team with mostly homegrown players from La Cantera. Today, with a new confrontation as the background, it seems that the differences have diminished.
With the current management of Rodrigo Ares de Parga and the coaching of Francisco Palencia, Pumas is in the process of recovering the essence of the past, where players developed in their basic forces not only made up the majority of their squad, but also served as their references and solutions. However, a similar approach is being attempted by the neighbor in Coapa, since Ricardo La Volpe took charge of the Eagles. Despite his methods and results, he has tried to enhance the raw material of the blue and yellow team in the making.
In his first semester, La Volpe chose Edson Álvarez (19 years old), a versatile youth player who can play both as a center-back and as a defensive midfielder. The presence of this new player, with childlike features and good ball skills, surprised the national media, as it is not common for America to make space for less experienced players. "Everything happened very quickly, unexpectedly, but I won't waste this opportunity; I thank the coach for his trust," Álvarez said in his first press conferences.
Continuing with this work approach and with a squad full of doubts, in this Clausura 2017, the veteran Argentine coach gave minutes to a young player (even younger than Álvarez) with potential and talent. Diego Laínez, who can play as an interior midfielder or as a winger, made his debut in the national first division on March 4th, against León, at the age of 16 years and 9 months. Now, he is one of La Volpe's first substitutions.
"Diego was part of Pachuca's youth academy, but at a certain point, a few years ago, he told me that he wanted to try out for América, that he wanted to belong to this club because he has supported the Eagles since he was a child (he joined in 2012). He is a very skilled player, he can play on both sides, and what makes me feel at ease is that I see my son happy, fulfilling his dreams; I'm as happy as he is," said Mauro Laínez, Diego's father, in an interview with ESPN after his debut.
The presence of America's youth players is completed by Gil Burón (22 years old), a defender who can play as both a full-back and a center-back; Érick Pimentel is perhaps the one who has fallen behind the most, as at 26 years old, he has accumulated several semesters without significant playing time; Carlos Rosel is another attacking player who operates on the right wing and has participated in the league and cup under La Volpe; so far, he has made four appearances in the CL17.
Meanwhile, at least with the current management, Universidad has had three debuts in the top division, including the previous tournament and the current one, as well as projections for more young players who, although they had made their debuts, were not part of the plans in the past. This is the case for Jesús Gallardo (22 years old), who began his professional career at the end of 2014, but it wasn't until the middle of last year, with Palencia as coach, that he became a starter and stood out to the point of being selected for the national team.
Another example similar to Gallardo's is Kevin Escamilla (23 years old), a 2011 U-17 World Cup champion with Mexico, who made his debut under Memo Vázquez (in early 2015), but it's only now that his level has allowed him to compete for a starting position in the lineup; he is a defensive midfielder who can also play as an interior on either side. Josecarlos Van Rankin, another homegrown player, but equally young (23), has earned the trust as a key player on the right flank, after Marcelo Alatorre's departure.
Palencia's debutants have also received special attention. Pablo Jáquez, who is said to be the replacement for either Darío Verón or Gerardo Alcoba in the central defense, made his debut this semester and, in the current league competition, has already played 103 minutes in three matches; a similar situation occurs with Alan Mendoza (23 years old), a left back who is now indispensable and returned to Pumas for the 2017 season; Santiago Palacios (25), with less activity, is a constant substitute for Palencia... Thus, despite the differences, Pumas and America seem to be pursuing their ideals by following similar paths.