The 1-1 draw between Tigres and Cruz Azul, which sent the Autonomous University of Nuevo León team into the final of the Liga MX Apertura tournament, left a postcard as shocking as it was painful unintended protagonist by Ángel Correaand that set off alarms for the Mexican team the possibility that Jesús Orozco will miss the 2026 World Cup.
It was 35 minutes into the second half. Tigres won and tried to end the series. The Argentine attacker entered the area from the right sector with his usual change of pace, strength and intuition to attack spaces and He took a shot that didn’t seem to have that much power. It had a net goal, but on the way there appeared the Cruz Azul defender whose goal it was Block the shot It caused him to intervene with his entire body. It served its purpose, but The costs were very high.
The footballer’s right ankle Mexican got stuck in the grass and the force of the ball’s impact, combined with the unnatural support position, resulted in a chill kink. The images were eloquent and difficult to watch. There was silence in the stadium and the gestures of teammates, the immediate reaction of the medical staff and Orozco’s face made it clear that this was not just another injury.
While I was waiting for the official medical report, the initial feelings were not encouraging. Nicolás Larcamón, Cruz Azul’s Argentine coach, avoided making a definitive diagnosis, although his words reflected the gravity of the moment. “The situation doesn’t look good at all, not good at all. I don’t want to be hasty without having the conclusions of the studies and the doctors, but in these hours we will have more clarity,” he said at a press conference in a serious and worried tone.
Fear grew quickly in Mexico. Jesús Orozco is not just an ordinary player: at just 23 years old consolidated into Cruz Azul and had managed to get into orbit Mexican team stable. Javier Aguirre recently called him up and he started the friendly against Paraguay in November. Furthermore, for El Tri, the 2026 World Cup is not just any World Cup: it will co-host with the United States and Canada. Hosting it at home gave the tournament unparalleled symbolic value. Today that dream appears to be under serious threat.
While Mexican football awaits the results of the studies, there is already speculation about a sustained recovery. When the worst omens are confirmed (There is talk of a possible break) Orozco would also miss important immediate commitments, such as the Challenge of the Americas against Flamengo, scheduled for December 10 in Qatar as part of the rematch of the Intercontinental Cup.
In purely sporting terms, the game left relevant traces. Juan Brunetta was the scorer for Tigres, who took advantage of their sporting advantage after finishing better than Cruz Azul in regulation (Juan José Purata, however, scored in the last minute of stoppage time). The two semifinals ended 1-1, but this sporting advantage tipped the balance in favor of the UANL team.
In the final, Tigres will face Toluca, led by Antonio Mohamedwho also reached the final thanks to the same advantage: they lost the first leg 1-0, won the second leg 3-2 and 3-3 on aggregate enabled them to advance. Sergio Ramos’ Monterrey remained on track, it could have been the historic Spanish defender’s last game in a Rayados jersey. El Diablo Rojo, the current champion, will fight for the title again.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for every messagefor every expression of love and for the support I received during these difficult hours. “I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and all the people at Cruz Azul for supporting me from the first moment,” Orozco said in his first public comments after the injury.
And he added: “I also want to recognize and Many thanks to the Tigres fans who behaved well and gave me applause I’ll never forget that when I left the field. This gesture shows the greatness of football and its people. The path will not be easy, but I know that together with this great institution that supports me, the process will be easier and easier I will come out of this even stronger. See you soon”.
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