By: Jonny Rico
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Week 5 of the LIGA MX Apertura 2015 season gets underway on Friday night when Veracruz host Club Queretaro and the last two league champions Santos Laguna and Club America face-off.
Both Santos and Club America did not get the season started the way each was hoping for and will be wanting/needing all three points. The reigning champions Santos got off to three consecutive losses while Club America got off to two consecutive losses. America has been able to turn things around and are now on a two game winning streak while Santos but the bad start in the rear-view mirror with its first win of the season in Week 4.
The match is scheduled for Friday night at 10:30 p.m. (Eastern) / 7:30 p.m. (Pacific) at the Territorio Santos Modelo (TSM) stadium. It will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Azteca America.
The Santos vs America match will be filled with special ingredients. As the last two league champs both clubs faced off one week before the season started in the Campeon de Campeones Cup (Champion of Champions Cup). A once prestigious trophy which made its return this season. Santos Laguna defeated Club America in that match and the wound is still fresh in the mind of the Mexico City club which were denied another trophy.
Both clubs have seen various players go from one side to the other. Santos Laguna currently has a number of former Club America as does America have a number of former Santos players. Jesus Molina and Luis Angel ‘Quick’ Mendoza both won the Apertura 2014 season with Club America, were transferred out to Santos Laguna and then went on to win the Clausura 2015 title with Santos making them back-to-back champions. Santos also has Adrian Aldrete who won the Clausura 2013 league title with America.
On the Club America side the two biggest names that come to mind when thinking of former Santos Laguna players are Mexican international Oribe Peralta and Colombian forward Carlos Darwin Quintero. Peralta won two league title while at Santos (Clausura 2008 and Clausura 2012) and then won the Apertura 2014 and the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) 2014-15 with Club America. Quintero also won title at both clubs winning the Clausura 2012 league championship with Santos and the CCL 2014-15 with America. Also on the Club America roster, former Santos Laguna player Osmar Mares.
COMPLETE LIGA MX WEEK 5 SCHEDULE:
*All times Eastern
Veracruz vs Club Queretaro | Friday 8:30 p.m. | TV: Univision Depotes Network
Santos Laguna vs Club America | Friday 10:30 p.m. | TV: Azteca America
Cruz Azul vs Tijuana Xolos | Saturday 6:00 p.m. | TV: Univision & Univision Deportes Network
Monarcas Morelia vs Club Leon | Saturday 7:30 p.m. | TV: Azteca America
Tigres UANL vs Chiapas FC | Saturday 8:00 p.m. | TV: Univision Deportes Network
Pachuca vs Pumas UNAM | Saturday 9:00 p.m. | TV: Telemundo & NBC Universo
Dorados Sinaloa vs Monterrey | Saturday 10:00 p.m. | TV: WatchESPN
Toluca vs Chivas Guadalajara | Sunday 1:00 p.m. | TV: Univision & Univision Deportes Network
Mexico
MLS
