Look, if you followed the Liga MX Clausura 2024, you already know the vibe. It wasn't just another tournament; it was a grueling, high-stakes chess match that basically ended with Club América cementing themselves as the undisputed kings of the modern era. They did the "Bicampeonato." Winning back-to-back titles in Mexico is hard. Like, really hard. Only a few teams like Pumas, León, and Atlas have pulled it off in the short-tournament format, and seeing the Águilas lift that trophy at the Estadio Azteca felt sort of inevitable and shocking all at once.
The whole season was a rollercoaster.
We saw Cruz Azul rise from the ashes under Martín Anselmi, playing a brand of soccer that honestly looked like it belonged in Europe. We saw Chivas tease their fans again, only to fall short when the pressure cooked. And we saw the usual giants like Monterrey and Tigres flex their bank accounts, even if it didn't result in silverware this time around. But to really understand what happened in the Liga MX Clausura 2024, you have to look past the final score of the final. You have to look at how the league is shifting.
The André Jardine Masterclass
When André Jardine took over América, people were skeptical. He wasn't the "big name" everyone expected. But man, did he prove them wrong. His tactical flexibility throughout the Liga MX Clausura 2024 was something else. He didn't just stick to one plan. He rotated. He managed egos. He kept stars like Henry Martín and Julián Quiñones hungry even when they were sitting on the bench for a half.
América finished the regular season at the top of the table. 35 points. That’s a statement. They had the best defense, conceding only 12 goals in 17 games. Think about that for a second. In a league known for chaotic, high-scoring madness, América was a brick wall. Malagón, the keeper, was basically a human highlight reel. Without him, the story of the Liga MX Clausura 2024 looks a lot different.
The Liguilla—the playoffs—is where things got spicy. América didn't cruise. They struggled against Pachuca in the quarterfinals, barely squeaking through on the "better seed" rule after a 2-2 aggregate draw. It was ugly. It was tense. But that’s the thing about championship teams; they win when they play bad.
Cruz Azul: The Architect of Hope
Let’s talk about "La Máquina." Cruz Azul was a mess before this tournament. They were a meme. But Martín Anselmi changed the culture almost overnight. He brought in this aggressive, high-pressing style that caught everyone off guard. Players like Uriel Antuna finally looked like the world-beaters people always hoped they’d be. Antuna actually shared the golden boot (scoring title) with three other players, netting 8 goals.
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The final between América and Cruz Azul was a rematch of the famous 2013 and 2018 finals. The ghost of "Cruzazulear" was hovering over the Azteca. The first leg ended 1-1. It was anybody's game. But in the second leg, a controversial penalty—depending on who you ask—decided it all. Henry Martín stepped up, buried it, and that was that. 1-0.
Was it a foul on Rotondi? Fans are still arguing about it in cantinas across Mexico City. Honestly, it was one of those "soft but callable" moments that defines sports history. But if you're a Cruz Azul fan, it felt like a punch to the gut. Again.
The Stats That Actually Mattered
If you want to sound smart at the bar, stop looking at just the wins. Look at the underlying numbers from the Liga MX Clausura 2024.
- Pachuca's Youth Movement: They played the most minutes with homegrown "cantera" players. Even though they finished 7th, guys like Bryan González showed that Pachuca is still the best talent factory in the country.
- The Scoring Logjam: We had a four-way tie for the scoring title. Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul), Diber Cambindo (Necaxa), Federico Viñas (León), and Salomón Rondón (Pachuca) all hit 8 goals. It shows that the league didn't have one dominant superstar striker, but rather a bunch of really efficient ones spread out.
- The Attendance Spike: Despite the complaints about the "Play-In" format, stadiums were packed. The Liga MX remains the most-watched soccer league in North America, and it's not even close.
Why the Play-In Format is Kind of Weird (But Works)
The Liga MX Clausura 2024 used the "Play-In" system again, which is basically Mexico's version of the NBA's pre-playoff tournament. Teams 7 through 10 fight for the last two spots.
- Pachuca (7th) had to play a ridiculous amount of games because they were also deep in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
- Pumas (8th) managed to survive the Play-In but got bounced immediately by Cruz Azul.
- Necaxa (9th) was the surprise of the season, playing way above their pay grade before losing in the second round of the Play-In.
- Querétaro (10th) was just happy to be there.
It’s a controversial system. Purists hate it. They say it rewards mediocrity. And they’re kinda right. A team can be average for 17 weeks and then get hot for three games and win the whole thing. But for TV ratings? It’s gold. The drama is undeniable.
Chivas and the Chicharito Factor
We can't talk about the Liga MX Clausura 2024 without mentioning Javier "Chicharito" Hernández. His return to Chivas was supposed to be the homecoming of the century.
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Did it live up to the hype? Sorta.
He was injured for a lot of it. When he did play, he showed flashes of that legendary movement, but he wasn't the 20-goal-a-season striker anymore. Chivas finished 6th. They knocked out Toluca in a very disciplined quarterfinal, but then they ran into América in the "Clásico Nacional" semifinals. Losing to your biggest rival when a spot in the final is on the line? That hurts. It showed that while Chivas is improving under Fernando Gago, they still lack the clinical "killer instinct" that América has perfected.
The Disappointments: Tigres and Monterrey
The "Regio" teams—the two giants from Monterrey—have the biggest budgets in the league. For them, anything less than a trophy is a failure.
Monterrey (Rayados) finished 4th. They have a roster that looks like a FIFA Ultimate Team. Sergio Canales is a wizard in midfield. Brandon Vazquez started hot. But they just couldn't close the deal. Getting knocked out by Cruz Azul in the semis felt like a massive underachievement for a squad that expensive.
Tigres was even more surprising. They’ve been the "team of the decade," but they looked old in the Liga MX Clausura 2024. André-Pierre Gignac is still a beast, but the legs are starting to go. They got bounced by Monterrey in the quarterfinals. For Tigres, this season felt like the beginning of the end for a legendary core of players.
How to Apply These Insights
If you're betting on the league or just trying to follow it more closely, here is what the Liga MX Clausura 2024 taught us for the future:
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Don't ignore the coaching changes.
Anselmi at Cruz Azul proved that a fresh tactical perspective can outweigh a massive budget. Watch for teams that hire "system coaches" rather than just big names.
Depth wins championships.
América didn't win because they had the best 11. They won because their 15th and 16th players would be starters on any other team in the league. In a short tournament with lots of travel and midweek games, roster depth is the only thing that saves you from burnout.
The "Home Field" is becoming a myth.
We saw a lot of away wins in the Liguilla. The old rule that you just "sit back and defend" away from home is dying. Teams are becoming more aggressive regardless of where they are playing.
Watch the "Cantera" (Youth).
If you want to find the next big thing, look at Pachuca and Santos Laguna. The Liga MX Clausura 2024 showed that while the big teams buy stars, the smart teams grow them. This is where the value is in the transfer market.
The Liga MX Clausura 2024 wrapped up with yellow and blue confetti raining down in Mexico City, but the ripples are still being felt. América is now chasing a "Tricampeonato," something never done in the short-season era. Cruz Azul is hungry for revenge. And the rest of the league is scrambling to figure out how to bridge the gap. It wasn't just a season; it was a shift in the hierarchy of North American soccer.
Go watch the highlights of the América vs. Pachuca quarterfinal if you want to see how thin the margins really are. One goal, one referee decision, one bad bounce—that’s all it takes in this league. That's why we keep watching.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Analyze the Defensive Metrics: Go beyond the "goals against" and look at "Expected Goals Against" (xGA) for the top four teams to see if América's defense was truly elite or just lucky with Malagón's saves.
- Track Coaching Movements: Follow the off-season coaching hires for underperforming teams like Tigres and Toluca; the Liga MX Clausura 2024 proved that a tactical overhaul (like Cruz Azul's) is the fastest way to contention.
- Evaluate Multi-Tournament Fatigue: For the next season, cross-reference domestic league performance with teams playing in international competitions; the fatigue Pachuca showed in the late stages of the Clausura is a recurring pattern that affects betting odds and playoff seeding.
- Monitor Youth Integration: Keep a close eye on Pachuca’s starting lineups in the coming months; their model of playing high-minute youth is the most sustainable blueprint in the league right now.