Are Mexican teams leaving Copa Libertadores? This week the infamous Mexican soccer draft in Cancun begins. Although the actual tranfers do not begin until Wednesday, Monday and Tuesday will offer important decisions that will affect the future of the Mexican league. First, it will change its name to something like ‘Liga MX’, and the Copa de Mexico will be officialized and scheduled. However, a significant part of scheduling both the Copa de Mexico and the Liga MX into an already tight semester-long schedule can lead to a possible change that will hurt the progression of Mexican league gravely.
Decio de Maria–the new president of the new league–recently mentioned that it is very possible for Mexican teams to leave Copa Libertadores. Accordingly, this would prevent teams who are playing in both tournaments from doing poorly in the national tournament due to tight scheduling.
The real reason may be scheduling, but since when have Mexican Soccer League executives cared about the well-being of its teams abroad? To me, this possible change has nothing to do with other than money. After all, money is what prompted the league to privatize. If true, this would be a disaster to all fanatics and high quality Mexican soccer.
First, mexicans all alike cheer for mexican teams that play in that league because they are not seen as meerly clubs that are playing, but rather they are seen as a representative of Mexico. One must not forget that only Cruz Azul and Chivas have reached a final but neither has won. Therefore, Copa Libertadores is a prestigious cup that Mexico has never lifted before, and leaving it to win more Aperturas, Clausuras, and Concachampions will be a shame.
When speaking about league progress, many players and teams will be hurt with the Liga MX departure of the tournament. In recent years, players like Marco Fabian, Javier ‘Chuletita’ Orozco, and even Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez have made a name for themselves in an international level by scoring goals in Libertadores. On the other hand, many foreign players sign with Mexican clubs because apart from higher wages, they dwell from the idea of playing in Libertadores. When the growth of young Mexican players is restrained, and all-star South American players stop arriving, you make the math– the new league will lose quality and interest.
Yes the Libertadores exhausts teams that are playing two tournaments at a time, but young players who are not starters in the Mexican league get the opportunity to play against big-time South American teams and nonetheless gain great experience. By leaving the Libertadores, young players will miss out on gaining greater experience, many foreign players will detract from playing in Mexico, and Mexican teams will lose the possibility of winning the most prestigious title in the Americas. But most importantly, as a Liga MX fan, wouldn’t you hate to know that your teams greatest accomplishment would be to beat Isidro Metapan or Los Angeles Galaxy at the Concachampions…With the bench?
