Club América players celebrate after a goal. Photo: twitter.com/clubamerica

By MARK LORENZANA

Club América is already one of the most popular — and most decorated — soccer clubs in the history of the Liga MX, but the Mexico City-based team added another feather to its cap: It just notched its ninth consecutive win, 2-1, on Saturday, Sept. 10, against home team Club Necaxa at the Victoria Stadium in the central Mexican state of Aguascalientes.

Before Necaxa, the other unfortunate Liga MX teams that had been on the receiving end of América’s impressive run of victories included Juárez, Pumas UNAM, Pachuca, Cruz Azul, Querétaro and Mazatlán.

América’s win against Cruz Azul was particularly impressive, as the team scored a historic win against its fellow Mexico City-based Liga MX rivals, 7-0. In fact, it was the most lopsided win so far in the so-called Clásico Joven, whenever these two most-titled and most-popular clubs match up against each other. It was Cruz Azul’s most lopsided beating in an official match since losing 6-1 to Uruguay in the 2003 Copa Libertadores, and the 5-0 drubbing that Cruz Azul experienced against Tampico Madero in the 1989 season of the Liga MX.

Next up for América is a match against the Comarca Lagunera-based Santos on Wednesday, Sept. 14, and then the much-anticipated El Súper Clásico home game against Jalisco-based rival Chivas on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Azteca Stadium.

Meanwhile, Mexican Formula 1 (F1) driver Sergio “Checo” Pérez’s unlucky streak continued, after he failed to secure a podium spot in the recently concluded Italian Grand Prix. After placing second in the Belgian Grand Prix, Checo finished fifth in the Dutch Grand Prix, and sixth at the Monza Circuit in Italy, on Sunday, Sept. 11.

Pérez started 13th on the grid to begin the race, and while he gallantly fought and took sixth place, it was the second consecutive race that has seen the Mexican driver miss the podium. Checo is currently at third place in the 2022 F1 Driver Standings, behind Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.

“It was a very difficult race. From the start, I tried to take a lot of precautions, especially from the first turn. But then the front right tire started to overheat quite a bit, and we had to stop very early, and it was on fire,” Pérez said after the race. “In the end we were able to recover, but we were a disaster from the start. Luckily, I was able to finish the race.”

Verstappen finished the Italian GP in first place, followed by Leclerc in second and Mercedes driver George Russel Jr. in third.