Club América

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América
Club America
Full name Club de Fútbol
América S.A. de C.V.
Nickname(s) Aguilas (Eagles)
Founded October 12, 1916
Ground Azteca,
Mexico, DF
Capacity 114,600
Chairman Mexico Guillermo Cañedo White
Head Coach Mexico Luis Fernando Tena
League Primera División
Apertura 2006 3rd (playoffs)
3rd (league)
2nd (group)
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
　
Away colours

Club de Futbol América, most commonly known as just América, is a Mexican professional football club. América plays in the Primera División. The team is the one of the most popular and traditional football clubs in Mexico. América and Chivas share the distinction of being the most successful teams in league play - America with 10 professional championships, and Chivas with 11. The two form a hotly contested rivalry which is played twice a year. Their club colors have been yellow and blue since the team's foundation. The team mascot is the eagle, one of which is flown around the stadium before important matches.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Foundation

In 1916, two students from Jesuit College, Rafael Garza Gutiérrez and Germán Nuñez Cortina, with other schoolmates met at German’s aunt’s house, located in Santa Maria la Ribera colony in Mexico City and formed a team, which was to be called 'Record.' Close to Mascarones Jesuit College was another prep school called La Perpetua College. A group of football players headed by Eugenio Cenoz had a team called 'Colon.' Colon had problems fielding 11 players and thought it would be best to unite with another team1.

Players from Colon and Record met on 12 October 1916 to further their proposals and as a result had to come up with a new name. Many names were considered but it was Pedro 'Cheto' Quintanilla who had proposed America since they had formed a team on Columbus Day (Dia de las Americas), a day in which the Americas were discovered. The players soon designed a crest which had the map of the Americas encircled and placed a 'C' and an 'A' on both sides of the Americas to signify "Club America." After they had created their logo, the players had to decide on their team colors. Rafael got some of his father’s navy blue trousers and a yellow shirt and it was decided amongst the group that those would be the club's colours. Since then, they have shared the spot of being the most popular team in Mexico with Chivas de Guadalajara, their fiercest and most hated rival.

[edit] Amateur Era

In 1917, Club America had to prove themselves in order to be accepted into the Mexican League (Liga Mexicana de Aficionados de Futbol Asociacion)1. Necaxa, Atlante, Real España, Germania, and Asturias were already members of the league when America wished to join the amateur league. America's acceptance into the league depended on 3 games. If they lost a single one, they would not be accepted into the league. America’s first game was against Germania. America won the game and was then scheduled to play against España, which resulted in a draw. America was accepted as a result and formed part of the league. Their first season did not go so well, but they were able to capture a fanbase. At the time, America was the only team in Mexico City with an all-Mexican club.

In 1918, the team changed its name to Union. The name didn’t stand too well and changed back to America in 19202. From 1924 to 1928, America were crowned league champions and were able to attract impresive crowds. In 1926, America became the first Mexican club to play outside of Mexico2. Aside from broadening their horizons, Club America along with Atlante petitioned to reduce the number of foreign players in the league. Shortly after the Mexican Football Federation was formed in 1928, Rafael Garza Gutiérrez , America's founder, was designated as the National Team Head Coach. Most of the players that participated in the 1928 Olympics and 1930 World Cup were players that played for America.

[edit] Professional Era

Up until 1942, every league in Mexico was considered a regional league even though the league in Mexico City was the strongest of them all. In 1942-43, the first National League was established and it was known as the Liga Mayor (Major League). Club America wasn't the team it was during the 1920s on through the early 1930s. Aging players, lack of resources, and lack of interest took a toll on the club which led the team to become a bottom feeder for much of the beginning stages of the professional era7.

In 1956, the club was sold to a soft drink manufacturer. The new owner was trying to build upon the club's National Cup titles in 1954 and 1955 against Guadalajara, their soon to be nemesis. To the dismay of many, the owner failed to build upon the success and on July 22 1959, Emilio Azcarraga Milmo, owner of Telesistema Mexicano (Televisa), bought America from Isaac Bessudo3.

It is said in Mexico that the club was founded in 1916, but reborn in 1959, with the vision and values that were set forth by the son of Televisa's founder, Emilio Azcarraga Milmo. The vision he embarked upon was to convert football into a form of entertainment for the masses. Following the acquisition, Azcarraga told his players, 'I do not know much about football, but I do know a lot about business, and this gentlemen, will be a business7'.

It was obvious to Emilio Azcarraga that football in Mexico needed an antagonist, in other words, a common bad guy. Emilio Azcarraga knew that his club could not compete with the good guy in the movie (in this case, Chivas). The new owner sought out to be the villain. Soon after, the club started to spend obscene amounts of money in acquiring foreign talents, which offended fans. Emilio Azcarraga hired the Mexican Leagues most successful football executive of that time, Guillermo Cañedo as President and Ignacio Trelles as head coach. It was then when Emilio Azcarraga revolutionized the game in Mexico. He laid down a foundation for the club’s future by investing in scouting, player development, infrastructure, and merchandising7. He marketed his team both at the national and international level which allowed the club to enjoy financial growth. Under Azcarraga, the team has won 10 League championships, the first after the 1965-1966 season. In the 1970's, when Mexico's league championship format was changed to a playoff following the regular season (the previous format was akin to most European leagues, where the team with the most points after the end of the regular season is crowned the champion), America achieved more success - winning in the 1970-71 season(America 2 - 0 Toluca), and in the 1975-76 season, defeating Universidad de Guadalajara by a score of 4-0. The success in the 70's was due in large part to players like Enrique Borja, later an executive for the team, and Carlos Reinoso the gifted Chilean playmaker who is arguably the greatest player to wear an America uniform.

Eight more years would come to pass before America won another championship, but the team's fans would be rewarded thanks to the conquest of what has been called by many the greatest moment in the Eagles' history, a 5-3 victory over the team Chivas de Guadalajara at the climax of the 1983-1984 season, cementing the team's third league championship. The '84 championship gave the team new vigor it seemed, and America began to dominate the decade, steamrolling their way to four more titles in the 1980's. (1984-85, when they defeated UNAM Pumas 3-1; Prode 85 (a tournament in which only 4 teams participated, which America won and allege to be a real championship, ignoring the fact it was a weak 4-team tournament) - beating Tampico Madero 5 to 4, 1987-88 once again over Pumas by a score of 4-2 and ending their decade of dominance by defeating Cruz Azul at the end of the 1988-89 season 5-4)

The nineties would be a decade to forget for fans of the yellow clad warriors, with nothing to show for except an Interamericana Cup championship in 1993, and a CONCACAF Cup Championship in 1992. Years came and went with Televisa spending exorbitant amounts of money on both Mexican and South American (and even a few European and African imports) destined to return the club to its former glory which came to pass as nothing more than currency far from well spent. Internationally renowned coaches and executives were also brought to the team, producing no results that added to the team's woes. The only bright spots of the decade were the appearance of new young stars that developed in the club's youth squad, players like Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Germán Villa that would be instrumental to the team's success later on.

The new millennium brought renewed hope for Club America's fans, who would be rewarded quickly, with a CONCACAF Giants' cup in 2001, the first League championship in 13 years in the summer of 2002, and the team's tenth overall League title in 2005. The team, now being run by Azcarraga's grandson, Emilio Azcárraga Jean continues the legacy begun by his grandfather and the foundation he laid which eventually rewarded the club with - aside from the aforementioned 10 League titles- , 3 Cup titles, 3 Super Cup titles, 5 CONCACAF Champions Cup titles, and 2 Interamerican Cup titles.

[edit] Current Roster

No. Position Player
1 Mexico GK Francisco Guillermo Ochoa
2 Mexico DF Ismael Rodríguez
3 Mexico DF José Antonio Castro
4 Mexico DF Óscar Rojas
5 Mexico DF Duilio Davino
6 Mexico DF Diego Alberto Cervantes
7 Argentina FW Claudio López
8 Argentina FW Vicente Matías Vuoso
9 Paraguay FW Salvador Cabañas
10 Mexico FW Cuauhtémoc Blanco
12 Mexico GK Alberto Becerra
14 Mexico DF Carlos Infante
16 Chile DF Ricardo Rojas
17 Mexico MF Ignacio Torres
No. Position Player
18 Mexico MF Germán Villa
19 Mexico MF Fabián Peña
20 Mexico MF Alejandro Arguello
22 Mexico DF Alvin Mendoza
23 Paraguay FW Nelson Cuevas
28 Mexico DF Raúl Alberto Salinas
30 Mexico GK Armando Navarrete
52 Mexico MF Juan Carlos Mosqueda
53 Mexico FW Víctor José Aguado
54 Mexico FW Enrique Esqueda
55 Mexico FW Santiago Fernández
56 Mexico FW Marco Antonio Gómez
57 Mexico MF Fernando Julien Freire
11 Brazil MF Fabiano Pereira (FIFA World Club Championship only)

[edit] Reserve/Youth Squad

No. Position Player
25 Mexico GK Óscar Antonio Miramontes
39 Mexico DF Nestor Mauricio Casillas Ayon
51 Mexico MF Juan Carlos Silva Maya
59 Mexico FW Abrahm Octaviano

[edit] Squad changes for Apertura 2006 season

In:

  • Vicente Matías Vuoso - Transferred From Santos Laguna
  • Salvador Cabañas - Transferred From Jaguares de Chiapas
  • Nelson Cuevas - Transferred From CF Pachuca
  • Fabián Peña - Transferred From Necaxa
  • Raúl Salinas - Return From Pumas
  • Ignacio Torres Return From Jaibos Tampico Madero

Out:

  • Francisco Torres - Transferred To Santos Laguna
  • Irenio Soares - Loaned To Club San Luis
  • Reinaldo Navia - Loaned To Club San Luis
  • Kléber Boas - Loaned To Necaxa
  • Aarón Padilla - Loaned To Necaxa
  • Christián Giménez - Loaned To CF Pachuca
  • Pavel Pardo - Transferred To VfB Stuttgart

[edit] Notable Players

 

[edit] Honors

  • League Championships: 10*
    • 1966, 1971, 1976, 1984, 1985, Prode 1985, 1988, 1989, Verano 2002, Clausura 2005
  • Cup Titles: 5
    • 1954, 1955, 1964, 1965, 1974
  • Super Cup Titles: 5
    • 1955, 1976, 1988, 1989, 2005
  • CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 5
    • 1977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2006
  • CONCACAF Giants Cup title: 1
    • 2001
  • Interamerican Cup: 2
    • 1978, 1991

[edit] Sources/External Links


Primera División de México
América | Atlante | Atlas | Chivas | Cruz Azul | Jaguares | Morelia | Monterrey | Necaxa
Pachuca | Queretaro | San Luis | Santos | Tecos | Tigres | Toluca | UNAM | Veracruz
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