André Jardine’s stint as Club América coach started on the wrong foot. Las Águilas lost 2-1 to Juárez at Estadio Azteca in the opening game of the 2023 Torneo Apertura, a result that put the Brazilian in a tough spot too soon. Even if the hosts missed key players, fans were expecting another result at home.
The Azulcremas started the game strongly, with Leonardo Suárez putting them in front after 15 minutes. However, their performance left much to be desired. América failed to extend their lead, and in the end, it proved costly. Aitor García scored the equalizer after 86 minutes, paving the way for a dramatic comeback. In stoppage time, Ángel Zapata sealed the away team victory with a last-gasp goal that ruined Jardine’s debut.
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André Jardine admits losing in his debut was a huge blow
“A tough result… Of course, we imagined a different start,” Jardine said in his post-match press conference. “We were confident because of the intensity that we have. Football is like this. If you don’t seize your opportunities… We need to be calm, right now we are affected because of the national team. It is not an excuse, but there are players who cannot play 90 minutes. But now we have to start with this group so we need to work.”
The Brazilian mentioned the absence of many players due to international duty. Henry Martín, Néstor Araujo, Israel Reyes, Salvador Reyes and Luis Malagón have all been called up by Mexico for the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Nuestro siguiente partido 🦅
Jornada 2 🆚 Querétaro pic.twitter.com/OGrVYk3UjB
— Club América (@ClubAmerica) July 3, 2023
While it is true that the team had many notable absences, the seize of this club means that this kind of slip up puts pressure on the new coach, who left Atlético San Luis to replace Fernando Ortiz. With this defeat, there will be little margin for error for the manager that led Brazil to the Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020.
