Lionel Messi is set to play his first game with Inter Miami this Friday in the Leagues Cup, a joint tournament between Major League Soccer and Liga MX. With the Argentina World Cup winner’s signing confirmed Saturday, much fanfare has been made about his arrival, his official presentation and even his recent trip to a regional supermarket chain in Florida (which just so happens to be a sponsor of his new team, so make of that what you will.)
Lost in the Messi-mania though is one glaring topic: His upcoming opponents, who aren’t in the best run of form. Heading into the game with a 0-0-3 start to the Liga MX season, Cruz Azul are shuffling into this clash as the Washington Generals do every time they come up against the might of the Harlem Globetrotters in exhibition basketball.
Despite a noteworthy history and some decent talent within their roster, Los Cementeros are the current team in crisis in Mexican soccer. They haven’t had an ideal start to the 2023 Apertura season, but nothing would boost the club’s confidence like a victory over Messi and company this week.
Ahead of MLS‘ new star making his debut on Friday, here are a few things to know about the Liga MX side he’ll be facing.
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Success in the ’70s, but then “Cruzazulear”
Based out of Mexico City and playing their home games in the historic Estadio Azteca, Cruz Azul are one of Liga MX’s cuatro grandes (Big Four), which includes Club America, Pumas and Chivas. Traditionally, these four are the most popular and successful teams in the country, although Pumas have been surpassed by clubs like Leon, Tigres and Toluca when it comes to overall titles.
For Cruz Azul, a strong bulk of their domestic accolades arrived between 1969-1980, a period where they built a dynasty with seven championships. Since then, however, they’ve regularly struggled, especially in the 21st Century.
Often stumbling in dramatic fashion in high-profile matches, Los Cementeros have become known for their last-minute failures and defeats in important games. Things got so bad that after a lack of titles from six Liga MX finals appearances from 1999-2018, a new word, “Cruzazulear” (to Cruz Azul), entered the Mexican lexicon as a verb that highlighted a mistake or blunder. At the 2018 World Cup, Mexico fans even went as far as gifting Cruz Azul jerseys to opposing teams in the hopes of cursing their opponents.
Cruz Azul did end up winning a title in the 2021 Clausura, but a poor start to 2023 seems to point for more problems ahead.
Turmoil under ‘Tuca’
Remember our Liga MX preview from last month? For those who missed it, we highlighted reports of internal turmoil between manager Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti and Cruz Azul’s front office regarding the direction of the team. Things haven’t exactly improved since the start of the Apertura. In three games so far we’ve already seen: Ferretti storm out of a new conference in Week 1, the defense allowing six goals, goalkeeper Sebastian Jurado earning a red after handling the ball outside of the box, and most notably, three losses. What’s the problem here?
Ferretti, a manager who has prided himself in the past with playing no-nonsense and pragmatic soccer, hasn’t been able to solidify his defensive-minded approach. While testing out three and four-man backlines in his first three games this season, Cruz Azul have done a poor job of creating chances, struggled with shutting down opposing attacks, and have often relied on a rapidly growing list of fouls.
Los Cementeros are a work in progress and with just one goal scored in 270+ minutes of play in the Apertura, they’ll likely need to count on individual moments of magic this Friday instead of a unified effort that has been far from cohesive under Ferretti.
Players to watch
If things are a bit of a mess with the organization of the team, who will step up for Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup? Luckily for the squad, two of their best players, right winger Uriel Antuna and midfielder Carlos Rodriguez, will be back in the setup after a busy summer with Mexico’s national team.
Antuna, despite being a work in progress himself with his decision-making and crosses, is a pacy and dangerous attacker who can easily surpass a Miami defense that has arguably had even more problems than Cruz Azul.
In the center of the XI, Rodriguez is a well-rounded playmaker who will link up well with Antuna and other members of the frontline that have been desperate for more chance creators. Someone else to keep an eye on is 19-year-old Rodrigo Huescas. A versatile option who can play as a full-back, wing-back, winger and midfielder, the youngster is one of the more interesting prospects in Mexican soccer. Defensively solid and someone who could do plenty of damage with his sprints forward, it’s no surprise to see rumors that European teams are keeping an eye on him. Perhaps a good game against Messi can increase his stock even higher.