Ayala: Let’s hope it’s third time lucky for Mexico
In 2001, Cruz Azul became the first Mexican side to reach the Copa Libertadores final, an achievement that briefly allowed them to harbour dreams of lifting the illustrious trophy.
However, a talented Boca Juniors team featuring Jorge Bermudez, Sebastian Battaglia and Juan Roman Riquelme put paid to those aspirations in a memorable penalty shoot-out, following a two-legged final that had fans on the edge of their seats. Nine years later, Mexican football earned itself a second chance of glory, but Chivas Guadalajara’s enthusiastic approach was thwarted by the quality of Brazilian giants Internacional.
The wait for a third opportunity has not been quite as long: in the 2015 edition of the continental tournament, Nueva Leon-based Tigres have impressed since the beginning of the group stage, suffering just two defeats in 12 matches during their remarkable run to the final, and setting their sights on capturing the trophy. “Let’s hope it’s a case of third time lucky for Mexico; we would love to make history for our country and for Tigres,” said defender Hugo Ayala in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com.
“That’s the goal we’ve set for ourselves. Personally speaking, I’m incredibly excited about it. We’re eager to do things the right way; it’s going to be a huge game, where we can enjoy a wonderful finish to this campaign that we’ve worked so hard on,” continued the Morelia native.
Realistic chance
Facing Los Felinos in the first leg on Wednesday will be River Plate, who have already held aloft the Copa Libertadores twice and who will have every intention of spoiling the Mexicans’ party. The Argentinian heavyweights, whose last appearance in the final dates back to 1996, are anxious to prevail in the competition for a third time, and will constitute a tough hurdle for Tigres to overcome.
“We’ll try not to give them too much space or let them move into the final third. They’re a team full of big names and top-quality players, and if at any point you allow them space, they can really hurt you,” said the 28-year-old, known for his aerial prowess as well as his vision and anticipation. “We’ll have to maintain our focus and put them under a lot of pressure to stifle their creativity.”
"If at any point you allow them space, they can really hurt you"
Tigres' Hugo Ayala on the dangers of River Plate
But Tigres are certainly not there to make up the numbers, despite taking on seemingly superior and historically successful opponents.
“We typically move the ball around quite nicely,” said the commanding centre-back. “We're very well organised in attack and defence; when we don’t have possession of the ball, we’re good at cutting down the space available, and when we’re attacking, we do so as a compact unit. That’s how we’ve got ourselves into a position where we have a chance to win the cup.”
Robust recruitment
Building on recent positive performances and results and with one eye on succeeding in the latter stages of the Copa Libertadores, Tigres significantly strengthened their team over the summer, bringing in a handful of new players. “They (Andre-Pierre Gignac, Jurgen Damm, Javier Aquino and Ikechukwu Uche) have settled in quite well,” remarked Ayala.
“They’ve really taken the ideas of our coach, Ricardo Ferretti, on board. And, of course, we know how good they are – they’ve been successful at previous clubs, and like the players that were here already, their goal is to do Mexican football and Tigres proud. And what better way to do that than to win the Copa Libertadores!”
Tigres will play the first leg of the showpiece tie at home, in front of a packed crowd at Estadio Universitario – nicknamed El Volcán (The Volcano) – in San Nicolas de la Garza, where their faithful and fervent fans will likely back the team non-stop for ninety minutes.
It goes without saying that the players would like nothing better than to provide them with the sweet taste of triumph in return for their unwavering support. “The name of our supporter’s group sums it up: Los Incomparables (The Incomparables),” he explained. “They’re always committed to the team, always supporting us and encouraging us. Much like us, they’re really excited and delighted by this whole experience.
"We’re hopeful of providing them with the joy that they deserve, because they’ve always been there for us. We want to honour them with a victory.”
The scene is now set for a potential volcanic eruption on Wednesday evening: Tigres appear ready for their date with destiny, confident that this time around any tears shed by Mexican players will be caused by joy rather than sadness.
“It’s going to be a difficult match because we’re playing against a quality team who, like us, will be doing their very best to be crowned champions and to lift the trophy. Whoever has prepared the best and performs better over the 180 minutes will win the cup. And hopefully that's us,” Ayala concluded with conviction.