Liga MX Potential Return to Copa Libertadores: A History of the League in the Competition
The most competitive football tournament in South America could see a return of the Liga MX. Recently, on social media, there has been talk of the return of Liga MX and the entrance of the MLS. The addition of the two leagues could see an increase of teams in the competition, adding six new teams, three from each league. The format will look to copy the Champions League, removing the group stage and making the competition a league tournament before the knockout stages. The Liga MX was last seen in the Copa Libertadores in 2016, with their entrance into the tournament back in 1998. Three teams have made it to a final; however, all have come up short.
Cruz Azul 2001
Cruz Azul was the first team from Mexico to make it to a Copa Libertadores final. The Mexico City side started their campaign topping their group with 13 points, only receiving one loss. Their first game of the knockouts was against Paraguayan side Cerro Porteño, where they lost 2-1 in Paraguay. They were able to complete the remontada in the Estadio Azul, winning 3-1 and defeating the side 4-3 on aggregate. What came next was the Argentine giant River Plate. Their first game in Argentina was a 0-0 draw, but the following game in the world-famous Estadio Azteca became one of Cruz Azul's best wins in club history, a 3-0 stomping of River Plate. They made their way to the semifinal against Rosario Central, where they won 5-3 on aggregate, which included a 3-3 shootout in the second leg. Now Cruz Azul would be set to face arguably the best team in the competition's history, Boca Juniors. Cruz Azul would shock the side after losing 1-0 in the first leg in Mexico, winning 1-0 in the world-famous Bombonera. Unfortunately for Cruz Azul, they would go on to lose on penalties 3-1. Despite their defeat, they would make history, becoming the first Mexican side to make the final, and would gain respect from fans and players across South America.
Chivas de Guadalajara 2010
Chivas's journey to the final was different from Cruz Azul's. Chivas would skip out on the group stage as they would be granted an automatic bid to the Round of 16 due to the 2009 flu pandemic in the previous tournament. Their first opponent in the knockouts would be the Argentinian side Velez Sarsfield. A 3-0 first-leg win would be key for Chivas as they would head back to Buenos Aires for the second leg, losing 2-0 but advancing on aggregate 3-2. The next round was against Libertad from Paraguay, where they would comfortably handle them 5-0 on aggregate. The Semifinal would be against a Chilean powerhouse, Universidad de Chile. After a 1-1 draw in Jalisco, Mexico, Chivas would go on to upset the side in Chile, winning 2-0. This would have them be the second-ever Mexican side in a final, where they would face Brazilian side Internacional. Chivas’ final would be opposite to Cruz Azul's; they would lose the first leg 2-1 in Mexico. A valiant effort in the second leg would see them lose 3-2; Chivas would become the second Mexican team to lose a Copa Libertadores Final, losing 5-3 on aggregate.
Tigres UNAL 2015
Tigres road to the final started by topping their group with 14 points, beating out River Plate for first place, which would be an important piece of foreshadowing for this year's tournament. Their Round of 16 opponent would be Bolivia's Universitario, where they would go on to win 3-2 on aggregate. The Quarterfinals would be against Ecuador's Emelec; after a 1-0 loss in Ecuador, Tigres would win in Monterrey 2-0 to face off against Brazil's Internacional. They would lose the first leg in Brazil 2-1, but a strong 3-1 remontada in Mexico would see Tigres become the third Mexican side to ever make the final. Now Tigres would once again face River Plate, a team they played both times in their group but were not able to win against, tying both games. The first leg in the final would be a 0-0 draw in Tigres’ Stadium, the Estadio Universitario. Sadly for Tigres, the second leg was filled with disappointment; they would go on to lose 3-0 in Argentina and become the third Mexican team to reach a final but ultimately lose. The following year, in 2016, would be Liga MX's last participation in the tournament as they would leave the Copa Libertadores. A Mexican side may not have turned out to win the competition, but Cruz Azul, Chivas, and Tigres all made their names well known in the countries and the teams they defeated along the way to their respective finals journeys.
