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In less than ten minutes, the story of America vs. Cruz Azul seems defined. In the 14th and 22nd minute, Richard Sánchez and Jonathan Rodríguez respectively appeared to celebrate with all the fans of the Azulcremas at the Azteca stadium in the edition of the Clásico Joven for the tenth matchday of the Apertura 2022 tournament of Liga MX.
At the edge of the penalty area, Alejandro Zendejas controlled the ball and took a shot that hit his teammate Emilio Lara. However, the rebound fell to the 'Águilas' player, who went towards the edge of the field, where he was marked by Luis Abram. With no options to move forward, he chose to pass.
In this way, Zendejas connected with Lara, who left the 'Máquina' area to become a support. Then, the America defender also looked for an alternative and found Richard Sánchez entering alone. The midfielder controlled, positioned himself, and took a powerful shot. The ball soared into the top corner and left Sebastián Jurado with no response.
Without having recovered from the first blow, Fernando Ortiz's team started circulating the ball with more tranquility. This is how they started an action from the back. Luis Fuentes received a pass near the sideline. Then, the defender called 'Cabecito' Rodríguez to combine with him. The exchange between the Uruguayan and the defender was quick.
In fact, Fuentes asked for the ball back to make a forward pass with the outside of his foot. In the empty space, Henry Martín won the speed and power duel against Ramiro Funes Mori. When America's top scorer faced Jurado, he played the ball to the side so that Rodríguez, against his former club, could score and make it 2-0.
America vs. Cruz Azul: How They Reached the Clásico Joven
Club America had a uneven start to the tournament, but has been recovering and is close to the direct access zone to the quarterfinals of the playoffs. Precisely, Fernando Ortiz's team has linked three consecutive victories: 2-1 against Juárez and repeated 0-3 against Pumas UNAM and Pachuca.
The mentioned performances by the 'Águilas' showed great efficiency in attack and one of the standout players has been Henry Martín: he has scored four goals and provided two assists. These numbers have made the 29-year-old forward the top scorer of the tournament, with five goals.
On the other hand, Cruz Azul's present is totally contrary to that of their opponents: they have suffered three consecutive defeats (4-0 against Santos Laguna, 2-3 against Toluca, and 1-2 against Tijuana). The main weakness of the team has been the defense, where they look very fragile.
In that sense, the 'Máquina' incorporated Ramiro Funes Mori to the sector, but the Argentine has had ups and downs and has scored an own goal against 'Xolos'. The pressure on Diego Aguirre's team increases, as if they continue without winning, it will even cause the club to move further away from the positions with a ticket to the round of 16.