Cruz Azul and the 21 years’ curse
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After falling in another final because of its historic executioner the America, LatinAmerican Post reviews the main situations that have suffered 'The Cement Machine'
Some of lime and others of sand as in most cases of the sports world. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. However, a traditional Mexican soccer player like Cruz Azul has only seen the sand in the last two decades, already qualifying its luck as a kind of curse after the most recent defeat in a final, and before its archrival America in local condition.
Leer en español: Cruz Azul y la maldición que lo alejó del título en los últimos 21 años ¡aquí los detalles!
The issue with Cruz Azul is a matter of very important, and even the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, took advantage of social networks to congratulate America, and to encourage 'La Máquina'. Through his Twitter account, López Obrador wrote: "Congratulations to America, heads up Cruz Azul."SDP News, which replied the tweet in an article, recalled that López Obrador is a supporter of the Pumas and that his son, Jesus Ernesto, is a fan of the Águilas (America).
In turn, the newspaper Excelsior showed in an article the different memes with which the fans of America made fun of Cruz Azul, once again. 'The Machine' is an organization that is used to be the target of social media taunts after losing the final against the Águilas, their main rival. But it is not the only rival that takes away the candy from their mouth.
Campeche.com remember that the 'Águilas' of America were proclaimed champions of the MX League after winning 0-2 at Cruz Azul, on the field of the Azteca Stadium, which generated a 2-0 aggregate after the 0-0 away match Going. Thus, the 'Azulcremas' became the highest winners of Mexican Soccer, with 13 titles in its history. The figure of the final series was Edson Álvarez, who with his double at 50 'and 89' minutes led the Americanist achievement.
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This has lengthened 'the curse'
The bad streak began in 1997, but in these last 42 tournaments the ' Cement Machine' has reached six finals and has never been able to win again, even if the format has changed from League to Liguilla. Something always happens in those endings that disadvantage them and that is normally attributed to misfortune, as ESPN highlights in a complete article on the subject.
Winter 1999 against Pachuca
Pachuca won his first title at the expense of Cruz Azul team that was a favorite. In his first League Final after being champions in 1997, a goal scored by Alejandro Glaría in extra time sentenced `La Máquina 'at the Estadio Azul. That meant the first title of Pachuca and the beginning of the negative streak for the celestes, who had equaled 2-2 in the first leg as visitors, so they squandered everything they had in favor to qualify at home.
Closing 2008 against Santos Laguna
The problem seems to be that it does not do local things. Nine years later and under the command of Uruguayan coach Sergio Markarian, Cruz Azul returned to the final, this time, against Santos Laguna. In the first leg at home, the Blues did not define a clear hand in the hand of Nicolás Vigneri with goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez in the 87th and in the following fraction, a lethal counter-attack culminated by the Ecuadorian Christian Benítez gave the visitors the victory for 1 -two. It was not enough for them to tie 1-1 in the round since they fell in the global 2-3.
Opening 2008 against Toluca
Now it seemed for Cruz Azul, who after losing 0-2 Ida in Azul (again home), got the most complicated thing, it was to tie the series with the 'Red Devils' in the Nemesio Díez, says ESPN.
In extra time, Cruz Azul dominated the game and made merits to place the 0-3 but a controversial play changes the game. The game culminated 0-2 and in the shootout, it was Toluca who won the title of the championship.
2009 Opening before Rayados
Keep remembering ESPN the finals lost by the 'Cement Machine'. A year later, another disappointment was added, this time against the Rayados de Monterrey. In the first leg as visitors, Cruz Azul won 3-1 after the first 45 minutes. In the second half, the Rayados swept them on the court and came back to finish taking the victory by 4-3. In the return before its public they returned to fail when falling 2-1.
Clausura 2013 against America
Historically, beyond these 21 years of disillusionment, America has been the executioner of Cruz Azul and this was repeated in 2013. Cruz Azul, however, asserted its locality in the first leg and triumphed 1-0 with a goal from Cristian Giménez.
The incredible happened in the return. Cruz Azul managed to get top 1-0 as a visitor and even played from fraction 15 with one more man for the expulsion of Jesus Molina, but was unable to sentence. On the contrary, a goal by Aquivaldo Mosquera at 89 'and an own goal by Alejandro Castro at 91' led the game to overtime and then to penalties, where again, America was left with the title.
With a firm footing, they will continue to try
The newspaper Olé points out that Cruz Azul quickly went through the page with its sixth consecutive lost final and already announced its first changes for the first tournament of 2019. The information is that the Argentine midfielder Walter Montoya will not continue with the club, since he would have an offer of the Argentine League, presumably from Rosario Central.
Olé continued saying that Montoya, age 25, arrived at the 'Cement Machine' in January 2018 with high expectations for his previous participation in Sevilla, but only accumulating 97 minutes and five matches in the Clausura.
LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano
Translated from "Cruz Azul y la maldición que lo alejó del título en los últimos 21 años ¡aquí los detalles!"
