If you were anywhere near Mexico City in late May, you felt the electricity. Honestly, the air just hits different when the Clásico Joven takes over the capital. But 2024 wasn't just another year of these two giants trading blows. It was the year Club América cemented its dynasty while Cruz Azul reminded the world that "Cruzazulear" might finally be a dead term.
People love to talk about the history, but the America vs Cruz Azul 2024 saga was about the right here and right now. It was André Jardine’s tactical discipline versus Martín Anselmi’s revolutionary spark. It was a battle for the soul of the Estadio Azteca.
And man, it delivered.
The Clausura Final: A Penalty That Changed Everything
Let’s be real. Nobody actually remembers the first leg of the Clausura 2024 final. It was a 1-1 stalemate at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes. Uriel Antuna scored a penalty early on, and Julián Quiñones leveled it for the Águilas. It was fine. It was tense. But it was just the appetizer.
The second leg? That’s where the drama lived.
May 26, 2024. The Azteca was a pressure cooker. Cruz Azul actually looked like the better team for huge chunks of that game. They were sharper, faster, and had América pinned back. Luis Malagón had to pull off some world-class saves to keep the dream alive. Then, the 70th minute happened.
Israel Reyes went down in the box under a challenge from Carlos Rotondi.
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The stadium went silent. The VAR booth went to work. It felt like an eternity. When Marco Antonio Ortiz pointed to the spot, you could practically hear the collective gasp from the blue half of the city. Henry Martín stepped up. Cold as ice. He buried it. That 1-0 win secured the Bicampeonato—América’s 15th title.
Why the "Anselmi-ismo" Hype Was Real
Don’t let the final score fool you. Cruz Azul’s 2024 was actually incredible.
Before the season started, the team was a mess. They had just finished 16th in the previous tournament. In comes Martín Anselmi, a guy with a briefcase and a dream, and suddenly La Máquina is playing the most attractive football in North America.
They weren't just winning; they were dominating. They used a high-risk, high-reward system that basically dared opponents to try and counter them. In the regular season of the Clausura, they were a force. By the time the Apertura 2024 rolled around later in the year, they weren't just a "surprise team" anymore. They were the benchmark.
The Apertura Semifinals: Total Chaos
If the Clausura final was a tactical chess match, the Apertura 2024 semifinal rematch was a bar fight.
After a boring 0-0 in the first leg, the second leg was pure insanity. América went up 3-1. It looked over. Seriously, I was ready to turn the TV off. But then Cruz Azul did the unthinkable. They fought back to 3-3 in the dying minutes.
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The stadium was shaking. If it stayed a draw, Cruz Azul would advance because of their higher seed. Then, another penalty. In the final action of the game, Rodrigo Aguirre converted to make it 4-3 for América.
It was cruel. It was peak Liga MX.
- Key Stat: América’s André Jardine became the first manager in the club's history to win back-to-back short tournaments (Apertura 2023, Clausura 2024).
- The Hero: Luis Malagón. Without his hands, América doesn't win the 15th. Period.
- The Heartbreak: Carlos Rotondi. He was Cruz Azul's best player for much of the year, but he'll be remembered for that tackle on Reyes.
Surprising Details You Might Have Missed
A lot of people think the rivalry is just about the fans. It's deeper.
In March 2024, they played a "friendly" in the US that Cruz Azul won 3-2. People dismissed it. They shouldn't have. That game showed that Anselmi had figured out how to pierce the América shell. It set the blueprint for the rest of the year.
Also, look at the discipline. In the big 2024 matches, América played with a level of cynical professionalism that Cruz Azul just hadn't mastered yet. They knew when to foul, when to waste time, and how to manipulate the VAR era.
Moving Forward: What to Watch Next
If you’re following this rivalry into 2025 and 2026, the landscape has shifted.
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First, stop betting against André Jardine. The man is a knockout specialist. He doesn't care if his team looks "pretty"—he cares if they lift the trophy.
Second, keep an eye on the transfer market moves between these two. The 2024 season showed that the gap between the "rich" (América) and the "resurgent" (Cruz Azul) is almost non-existent now.
To really get the most out of the next Clásico Joven, pay attention to the wing-back battles. In 2024, that’s where every game was won or lost. If Cruz Azul can find a way to stop América’s verticality on the counters, the 16th title might finally head to La Noria instead of Coapa.
Keep a close eye on the injury reports for Henry Martín and Kevin Mier. Those two are the literal spine of their respective squads. When one is missing, the entire tactical structure of the Clásico shifts.
The 2024 chapter of America vs Cruz Azul wasn't just about a trophy; it was about the end of an era of "choking" and the beginning of a new, much more competitive rivalry.