Liga MX Clausura: James Rodríguez set for León debut | OneFootball

Last Night, Club América kicked off the second round of Liga MX Clausura fixtures. Hosting Tijuana at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, Jesús Hernandez's opener for the visitors was ruled out in the second half when Esteban Lozano netted his first goal for the club.

Elsewhere in Liga MX, the spotlight is firmly on two-time UEFA Champions League winner James Rodríguez, who is set to make his debut this weekend. The Colombian attacking midfielder will aim to leave his mark as his León side travels to face Atlas on Saturday night.

Other notable storylines for this matchday include the potential debut of Jesús Orozco for Cruz Azul. The defender made waves this winter by leaving the red and white of Chivas to join La Máquina in the capital, a move that has drawn significant attention across Liga MX.

Matchday Two Breakdown:

Friday 17th January 2025

Puebla vs San LuisTigres vs MazatlánNecaxa vs Chivas

Pablo Guede started life as Puebla manager with a point at the Estadio BBVA against Monterrey but will be searching for his first three points as he is introduced to the Puebla fans for the first time this week against a San Luis side that reached the Apertura semifinal. Los Atléticos suffered defeat in their opening game, hosting Tigres they fell to a 3-1 loss.

Tigres and Mazatlán have been two of the quieter sides in the off-season but picked up points on the opening matchday. A 3-1 win against San Luis helped Tigres forget their Liguilla woes as the side from Sinaloa scored an 86th minute equaliser to avoid defeat to Juárez.

Necaxa and Chivas both debuted new managers on the opening matchday, but their results contrasted sharply. Nicolás Larcamon took charge at Necaxa, though he was unable to end the team’s 11-game winless streak, falling 2-1 to Pumas. Meanwhile, Óscar García enjoyed a victorious start with Chivas, as Roberto Alvarado’s decisive goal secured a 1-0 win over Santos Laguna in his managerial debut.

Saturday 18th January 2025

Juárez play host to Cruz Azul this weekend, with the visitors potentially set to debut two exciting signings: promising defender Jesús Orozco and Omar Campos. Orozco caused a stir across Mexico this winter by leaving his boyhood club, Chivas, for a move to the capital. Juárez fans, however, have their own reason for excitement, as Jesús Murillo joins the club. Like Campos, Murillo makes the switch from MLS, departing LAFC to embark on a new chapter in Liga MX.

The standout match of the weekend takes place at the Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca, where Los Diablos Rojos host Los Rayados. Toluca recently made headlines by appointing former Monterrey Liga MX-winning manager Antonio Mohamed as Renato Paiva’s successor after the Portuguese coach's unexpected departure. Mohamed began his tenure in style with a 4-2 victory over Tijuana last weekend and bolstered his squad this week by signing Héctor Herrera and Franco Romero, the latter arriving from Defensa y Justicia. Both new recruits are expected to be available for this clash.

Monterrey, meanwhile, has also been active during the off-season following their Apertura final defeat to Club América. Their most notable acquisition so far is Nelson Deossa, who joins from Pachuca.

All eyes will be on the Estadio Jalisco this weekend as León could be prepared to hand James Rodríguez his debut for the club following the announcement of his arrival this week. The Colombian joins a León side that missed out on the Apertura playoffs as they look to compete this time around. Rodríguez joins Mexico's all-time leading appearance-making Andrés Guardado who came out of retirement to compete for León in the upcoming Clausura. As for Atlas, they kicked their campaign off last weekend with Gonzalo Pineda making his debut in the dugout for the club, recording an eye-catching 1-1 with Cruz Azul.

Club Leon Unveils James Rodriguez As New Player | Leopoldo Smith/GettyImages

Sunday 19th January 2025

Los Gallos fans welcomed their new head coach, Mauro Gerk, last week, though his debut ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Club América. This week, Querétaro faces the challenge of hosting Pumas, who are looking to build on their 2-1 victory over Necaxa. Los Universitarios bid farewell to winger César Huerta this winter, as he completed a highly anticipated transfer to Belgian side Anderlecht. His departure paved the way for the arrival of Panamanian midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla, a dynamic talent who could be handed his first start this weekend by head coach Gustavo Lema. Additionally, loanee Álex Padilla may debut for Pumas after arriving from Athletic Bilbao.

The matchday concludes in Hidalgo, where Pachuca kick off their season by hosting Santos Laguna. Los Tuzos parted ways with standout midfielder Nelson Deossa, who joined Monterrey this winter, but have so far managed to retain Oussama Idrissi, despite significant interest in the winger. Their opening challenge comes against a Santos Laguna side now led by former Rayados manager Fernando Ortiz. Although Santos began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Chivas, it was a hard-fought contest, leaving their fans optimistic as they head into this second fixture of the Clausura.