Historic challenges from Mexican rival in intercontinental debut

Summary
Flamengo faces Cruz Azul in the debut of the Intercontinental Cup, a Mexican opponent with a successful record, but who is going through a moment of crisis; The Brazilians have never beaten the team in the previous three clashes.

Flamengo will begin this Wednesday 10 the fight for the Intercontinental Cup title against Cruz Azul, from Mexico. The opponent may not be the best known Brazilian, but he is one of the giants of Mexican football.

With an almost century-old history, the team was founded in 1927 on the initiative of employees of the “Cooperativa Cruz Azul” cement factory and turned professional in the 1960s and became a power in Mexican football.

In its trophy room, there are nine victories in the Mexican Championship, four in the Mexican Cup and seven in the Concacaf Champions Cup. In the continental competition, the Celestes are the greatest champions alongside America.

More than the titles, Cruz Azul is proud of its remarkable campaigns. When Concacaf teams competed in the Copa Libertadores, the Mexicans reached the final of the 2001 edition, but ended up being beaten on penalties by Argentina’s Boca Juniors.

All this victorious history of the Jasso team passed through the hands and feet of historical idols. For many, the main one of these names is Miguel Marín. In the 1970s, the Argentine goalkeeper played 309 matches with “La Maquina”, won five Mexican championship titles and built up a rich identification with fans.

For this edition of the Intercontinental Cup, however, Cruz Azul arrives at a moment of crisis. Under the command of former Cruzeiro native Nicolás Larcamón, the team was eliminated by the Tigres in the semifinals of the Mexican Championship.

Also this year, the Mexicans experienced one of the greatest embarrassments in recent history. In the Leagues Cup in July, Larcamón’s team was defeated 7–0 by the Seattle Sounders, with all the goals scored in the second half.

With a chaotic scenario, Cruz Azul will face Flamengo for the fourth time in its history. One detail even attracts attention: “La Máquina” has never lost to the Rio team.

The first meeting took place in 1985, during the Juarez Tournament. On this occasion, after a 2-2 draw with the ball thrown, the Mexicans won 9-8 on penalties. The same year, Cruz Azul defeated the Brazilian team 2–0 in the Rose of Gold quadrangular tournament.

The last meeting took place two years later, in 1987. In the Azteca Tournament, Cruz Azul won 1-0. This Wednesday, almost four decades later, Brazilians and Mexicans will meet at 2 p.m. (Brasilia time) at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar.