The
Apertura 2018 Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
championship stage commonly known as ''Liguilla'' (mini league) was played from 28 November 2018 to 16 December 2018.
A total of eight teams competed in the championship stage to decide the champions of the Apertura 2018 Liga MX season. Both finalists qualified to the
2020 CONCACAF Champions League.
Qualified teams
The following 8 teams qualified for the championship stage.
''In the following table, the number of appearances, last appearance, and previous best result count only those in the short tournament era starting from
Invierno 1996 (not counting those in the long tournament era from 1943–44 to 1995–96).''
Format
*Teams were re-seeded each round.
*Team with more goals on aggregate after two matches advanced.
*Away goals rule was applied in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, but not the final.
*In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, if the two teams were tied on aggregate and away goals, the higher seeded team advanced.
*In the final, if the two teams were tied after both legs, the match went to extra time and, if necessary, a shoot-out.
*Both finalists qualified to the
2020 CONCACAF Champions League.
Bracket
Quarter-finals
''All times are UTC−5''
First leg
----
----
----
Second leg
''Cruz Azul won 3–1 on aggregate.''
----
''Monterrey won 3–0 on aggregate.''
----
''UNAM won 4–3 on aggregate.''
----
''América won 5–4 on aggregate.''
Semi-finals
''All times are UTC−5''
First leg
----
Second leg
''1–1 on aggregate and tied on away goals. Cruz Azul advanced for being the higher seed in the classification table.''
----
''América won 7–2 on aggregate.''
Finals
First leg
Details
Statistics
Second leg
''América won 2–0 on aggregate.''
Details
Statistics
Statistics
Goalscorers
;3 goals
* Bruno Valdez ( América)
;2 goals
* Emanuel Aguilera ( América)
* Edson Álvarez
Edson Omar Álvarez Velázquez (; born 24 October 1997), also known as El Machín, is a Mexican professional footballer who plays for Eredivisie club Ajax and the Mexico national team. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he is also capable of playin ...
( América)
* Carlos González (UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
)
* Rogelio Funes Mori
Rogelio Gabriel Funes Mori (born 5 March 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX club Monterrey. Born in Argentina, he represents the Mexico national team.
He began his career at River Plate before transferring ...
(Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
)
* Diego Lainez
Diego Lainez Leyva (born 9 June 2000) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga MX club Tigres UANL, on loan from Real Betis, and the Mexico national team.
Club career América
Lainez was recruited by scout Ángel ...
( América)
* Roger Martínez ( América)
* Felipe Mora
Felipe Andrés Mora Aliaga (born 2 August 1993) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club Portland Timbers and the Chile national team.
International career
Mora was selected for the Chile nation ...
(UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
)
;1 goal
* Pablo Aguilar (Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
)
* Paul Aguilar ( América)
* Matías Alustiza
Gustavo Matías Alustiza (born 31 May 1984) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Santamarina as a forward.
Nicknamed ''El Chavo'' (Mexican slang for boy), Alustiza holds Mexican citizenship since 2015.
Career
Alustiza starte ...
(UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
)
* Javier Aquino
Javier Ignacio Aquino Carmona (, born 11 February 1990) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Liga MX club Tigres UANL. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
Aquino made his debut with Cruz Azul in 2010, playing in over ...
( UANL)
* Milton Caraglio (Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
)
* William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
(Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
)
* Jesús Dueñas
Jesús Alberto Dueñas Manzo (born 16 March 1989), also known as Pollo, is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder.
Club career
Jesus Dueñas was from Petroleros de Salamanca but later moved to Tigres UANL, the te ...
( UANL)
* Elías Hernández (Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
)
* Renato Ibarra
Alex Renato Ibarra Mina (born 20 January 1991) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays for Ecuadorian club LDU Quito, on loan from América, and the Ecuador national team.
Club career
El Nacional
He had been playing throughout hi ...
( América)
* Édgar Méndez
Édgar Antonio Méndez Ortega (born 2 January 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Liga MX club Necaxa.
He achieved La Liga figures of 153 games and 16 goals over six seasons, with Almería, Granada and A ...
(Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
)
* Rodolfo Pizarro
Rodolfo Gilbert Pizarro Thomas (born 15 February 1994) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
Pizarro broke into the senior Pachuca team in 2012, remaining there unti ...
(Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
)
* Guido Rodríguez ( América)
* Martín Rodríguez (UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
)
* Luis Romo
Luis Francisco Romo Barrón (born 5 June 1995) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Liga MX club Monterrey and the Mexico national team.
Club career Querétaro
Born in Sinaloa, Romo began his career pl ...
(Querétaro
Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi language, Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. I ...
)
* Rubens Sambueza (Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
)
* Nicolás Sánchez (Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
)
* Fernando Tobio (Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
)
* Alexis Vega (Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
)
;Own goal
* Alfredo Saldívar
Alfredo Saldívar Medina (born 9 February 1990) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.
Career Youth
Saldívar joined the youth academy of Club Universidad Nacional in 2007. Which he than continued through UNAM Youth Ac ...
(for UANL)
Assists
;4 assists
* Mateus Uribe
Andrés Mateus Uribe Villa (born 21 March 1991) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Portuguese club Porto and the Colombia national team.
After coming through the ranks of Envigado's youth academy, Urib ...
( América)
;2 assists
* Adrián Aldrete (Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
)
* Renato Ibarra
Alex Renato Ibarra Mina (born 20 January 1991) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays for Ecuadorian club LDU Quito, on loan from América, and the Ecuador national team.
Club career
El Nacional
He had been playing throughout hi ...
( América)
* Víctor Malcorra (UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
)
* Oribe Peralta
Oribe Peralta Morones (born 12 January 1984) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
Peralta began his professional career with Morelia in 2003. He later played for León and Monte ...
( América)
* Carlos Rodríguez (Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
)
;1 assist
* Paul Aguilar ( América)
* Javier Aquino
Javier Ignacio Aquino Carmona (, born 11 February 1990) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Liga MX club Tigres UANL. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
Aquino made his debut with Cruz Azul in 2010, playing in over ...
( UANL)
* Pablo Barrera
Pablo Edson Barrera Acosta (born 21 June 1987) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga MX club Querétaro.
Barrera spent the early part of his career playing for Club Universidad Nacional in Mexico, before trans ...
(UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
)
* Cecilio Domínguez
Cecilio Andrés Domínguez Ruiz (born 11 August 1994) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga MX club Santos Laguna and the Paraguay national team.
Club career Sol de América
Born in Asunción, Domínguez was ...
( América)
* Carlos González (UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
)
* Avilés Hurtado
Avilés Hurtado Herrera (born 20 April 1987 in Timbiqui, Cauca, Colombia) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward and attacking midfielder for Liga MX club Pachuca on loan from Monterrey.
He is a Mexican naturalized ci ...
(Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
)
* Édgar Méndez
Édgar Antonio Méndez Ortega (born 2 January 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Liga MX club Necaxa.
He achieved La Liga figures of 153 games and 16 goals over six seasons, with Almería, Granada and A ...
(Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
)
* Alan Mozo (UNAM
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigge ...
)
* Dorlan Pabón
Dorlan Mauricio Pabón Ríos (born 24 January 1988) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Atlético Nacional. He is nicknamed ''Memín'', after an old Mexican comic character named Memín Pinguín.
Club career
En ...
(Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
)
* Guido Pizarro
Guido Hernán Pizarro Demestri (born 26 February 1990) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Liga MX club Tigres UANL.
He is nicknamed "Conde" (Spanish for Count), and is a naturalized Mexican citizen ...
( UANL)
* Rubens Sambueza (Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
)
* Jorge Sánchez ( América)
* Enrique Triverio
Enrique Triverio (born December 31, 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for The Strongest.
Club career
Deportivo Toluca
On 26 May 2015, Enrique Triverio agreed to a three-year deal with Liga MX team Deportiv ...
(Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
)
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apertura 2018 Liga MX championship stage
1
Liga MX final phase