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Clausura 2019 Final, León vs Tigres: Odds and Ends

By Thomas Buckley

LEON, MEXICO - JANUARY 05: Nahuel Guzman goalkeeper of Tigres jumps to clear the ball during the first round match between Leon and Tigres as part of the Torneo Clausura 2019 Liga MX at Leon Stadium on January 5, 2019 in Leon, Mexico. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
LEON, MEXICO - JANUARY 05: Nahuel Guzman goalkeeper of Tigres jumps to clear the ball during the first round match between Leon and Tigres as part of the Torneo Clausura 2019 Liga MX at Leon Stadium on January 5, 2019 in Leon, Mexico. (Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images) /
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The top two seeds will meet for the Liga MX trophy after barely surviving the semifinals.

León moved into first place after Matchday 10, tied with the Tigres at 23 points, but ahead on goal differential. The Tigres had been in first place after Matchdays 8 and 9, but the Esmeraldas would hold onto the top spot the rest of the season.

Despite being the two best teams during the regular season, both León and the Tigres struggled in the semifinals, advancing because of the quirky “better seed” rule. Top-seeded León played to a 1-1 aggregate draw against No. 5 América but moved on because they are the higher seed. The same was true for the No. 2 Tigres who played to a 1-1 stalemate against No. 3 Monterrey. It pays to win during the regular season in Liga MX.

These two teams met way back in Matchday 1, playing to a 2-2 draw in León. The game was played on Jan. 5.

Historic season for La Fiera

La Fiera set several records during their glorious Clausura 2019 season. León won 12 games in a row to set a new Liga MX record, surpassing the 10-game streak established by Cruz Azul during the 1971-72 season.

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León finished with 41 points, a new Liga MX record for a 17-game season.

Curse of the #1 seed

Since the Liga MX switched to the short season in Summer 1996, only 19 of the 46 No. 1 seeds have reached the Grand Final. Of the 18 previous top-seeded teams to participate in the Final, only seven teams have won. The last No. 1 seed to claim the trophy was América in the Apertura 2014 and the last No. 1 seed to lose in the Final was Cruz Azul last season (against América).

Previous encounters

The Tigres and León have met in the playoffs four times prior to this season, but the two clubs have never squared off in a Final. León defeated the Tigres by a 6-2 aggregate score in the quarterfinals after the 1992-93 season. The Tigres won the next three times they clashed in the playoffs. The Tigres won 5-4 in a wildcard playoff after the 1995-96 season, they defeated León 3-1 in the Apertura 2016 semifinals and then eliminated the Esmeraldas in the quarterfinals in the Apertura 2017.

Aiming for #8

León is appearing in its 12th Final, winning 7 titles. La Fiera’s last two titles came in back-to-back seasons – the Apertura 2013 and Clausura 2014. If the Esmeraldas win, they will tie Cruz Azul with 8 Liga MX championships, the fourth most in history (América – 13, Guadalajara – 12, Toluca – 10).

Tigres’ winning ways

With their “win” over Monterrey in the semifinals, the Tigres have now reached six of the past 10 Liga MX finals. Tuca Ferretti’s squad has won three of their previous five appearances (Apertura 2015, Apertura 2016 and Apertura 2017), losing twice (Apertura 2014, Clausura 2017).

The Tigres have also been in three of the past five Concacaf Champions League Finals, losing all three times (2016 to América, 2017 to Pachuca, and 2019 to Monterrey).

Chasing Nacho Trelles

Tigres coach Tuca Ferretti is in the running for his 7th Liga MX title as a coach (he has one title with Guadalajara, one with UNAM and four with the Tigres). That would tie the record held by the legendary Ignacio Trelles who led Marte (1), Zacatepec (2), Toluca (2) and Cruz Azul (2) to championships.

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