The tree of expectations, planted in the Coapa field, is coming to fruition. America not only needs to play well in order to defend their title, won only a month ago, they need to do it in agreement with the coach and players they have recently acquired. Those who love them, those who hate them and even those who respect them expect wonders from America. They want to see a spectacular, overwhelming, powerful, insurmountable America. They want to see a perfect America.
To a certain extent, I don't see that there is a piece out of place: a big team, with a passionate responsibility, a legendary past, which should respond under pressure. What does seem a little odd to me is the series of changes that have been made to a squad that did not appear to have any problems in the first place. They had a healthy position in terms of points and in terms of results they proved rather efficient. It brings to mind the occasion in which this very same team changed their manager and in turn their tactics. Antonio Mohamed himself has been quoted as saying that he found it rather strange to be coming into a position where his predecessor had left amid a shower of praise from the stands. This situation had in fact pushed him to do his best. Perhaps the same thing is going through the mind of new head coach Gustavo Matosas.
America have it all: money, management, a coach and a vast and powerful squad, which is made up of players who have already shown their worth in the competitive world of Mexican football. No one can or should fail in the task that the best team in the league has set itself. Rivals? Yes, there must be some, some of them more motivated by their emotions than by their sporting prowess, finally real footballing talent to contend with.
Let's just say that some teams have reinforced their squad with quality players, but none of them, not even the "millionaires" of Monterrey, nor the always willing Santos of Pedro Caixinha, nor Cruz Azul or even Pachuca or Leon seem fit to face up against America.
Fumbling and searching across the league for the "brave one" or the "hero" who will prove to be a suitable opponent for America on the "battlefield" is likely to prove a rather complicated task. In my opinion perhaps the secret of the tournament lies in America themselves. The way in which Matosas is able to produce a squad that is able to maintain the characteristics of which he has become renowned for, for which he was hired: ensuring that he does not stray too far from the "routine" of winning games, getting points. A routine established by the simultaneously lucky and unlucky Mohamed regime.
America need to be pitch-perfect; they need to play well, play with style, score and of course defeat their rivals. Well, at least, this is what one would expect from an investment of nearly 30 million dollars. An investment made in a team whose name is quite often heard alongside words such as "champion."
Except for the "blessed" balance or the irregularity of Liga MX, which seems to feature season after season, this particular time there seems to be no way in which anyone or anything can get in America's way. In fact, I think it would be quite interesting to see a match between America and America. Such a matchup would encourage them to play better, their statistics would not suffer and it would certainly convince any doubting fans. On Saturday, America will come onto the pitch to face their own demons. They will play against a team of demons who reached the top without actually deserving it, a team that searches for some form of footballing perfection, if such a thing exists.