2023 Leagues Cup: Finding MLS Comps for all Liga MX teams

Ahead of the first edition of the Leagues Cup featuring all MLS and Liga MX teams, it can be hard for some fans who are a bit unfamiliar with the Mexican league to understand some of the underlying history and storylines to watch for when their MLS club faces one of these Liga MX clubs.

In the interest of making this a fun exercise “The Goal Club Podcast” is making a comparison between the leagues and providing an example of an MLS equivalent for each Liga MX club.

Essentially does each club have a MLS team that compares with how it’s perceived by the rest of the league?

We set out to find the best pairings and while some of these matches are not perfect there is enough likeness between some of the clubs that will help MLS fans understand a bit more about some of the lesser known teams in Liga MX.

America (LA Galaxy)

The similarities of the two teams are plenty. They're the winningest franchises in their leagues which to an extent makes them the most hated team. If you dislike the L.A. Galaxy, now you can hate on Club America.

Both clubs also the target of conspiracies about the league and referees helping them to win games and even championships.

Also, both clubs are known for signing the big profile players to the league.

Atlas (San Jose Earthquakes)

Both Atlas and San Jose have been an integral part of their leagues without being among the most popular teams.

Both teams are overshadowed by bigger clubs in their own state.

Also, Atlas and the Earthquakes have in recent years resorted to signing players who are either past their prime, didn’t succeed or had enough minutes at other clubs. They also tend to give minutes to their homegrown players to fill some of the positions of need - don’t expect either to make a big time signing anytime soon, as is not in their DNA or bank accounts to make big time signings.

Where this comparison falls short is with the recent success Atlas had winning two titles. However both teams have built a reputation of being involved in late-game drama and at times inexplicable collapses during games.

Atletico San Luis (Real Salt Lake)

This is a difficult comparison, both have been part of the league for some time and their fan base is mostly regional, both are located in areas of the country that are not the obvious tourist destinations.

Outside of that, the similarities are few - Real Salt Lake is a team that has worked well with its academy, while Atletico San Luis - like quite a few Mexican Clubs rely on bringing players that didn’t succeed elsewhere.

Cruz Azul (New England Revolution) (New York RB)

Both teams have a long history with the league and have had a lot of success. However, a lot of that has been regular season success.

The New England Revolution have the unfortunate record of having the most appearances in MLS Cup without a trophy, an 0-5 record.

In contrast Cruz Azul has won nine titles, but in the last 15 years Cruz Azul endured similar pain as the Revolution by losing five league finals themselves between 2007 and 2018.

Cruz Azul also lost two Concacaf Champions League finals in between those years, and lost the 2001 Copa Libertadores final against Boca Juniors.

Cruz Azul finally broke its curse in 2021 defeating Santos in the Clausura 2021 final.

The big similarity Cruz Azul has with the New York Red Bulls is simply that a company shamelessly plugged their name into the name of the team.

Chivas Guadalajara (Seattle Sounders)

Chivas is known primarily for being the only club in Liga MX to only field Mexican nationals - and that itself makes it difficult to compare to any MLS team.

Aside from that Chivas is a team with a devoted fan base, and a team that over the years has relied on grooming and developing its own players and in those two aspects it resembles the Seattle Sounders - albeit the Sounders fierce fanbase is more regional based - while Chivas’ reach is a bit larger.

But overall, both teams are among the most successful in their respective league and are some of the most well known clubs outside their leagues.

FC Juarez (Austin FC and Inter Miami)

The Bravos recently commemorated their 8th anniversary earlier this year, so the team doesn’t have a lot of history and has only made the Liga MX playoffs once in its first five years in the top division.

The best comparison for the team is Austin FC - and is not necessarily because they’re both among the newest clubs.

What makes them similar is how the teams came to be. Austin FC was originally based in Columbus until owner Anthony Precourt decided to move his franchise to Austin after deals to build a new stadium in Columbus didn’t come to fruition.

After spending three years in the Mexican second division, FC Juarez owners bought the franchise of Lobos BUAP in Puebla and relocated it north, where the team has been playing ever since.

When it comes to the build of the team Juarez more closely resembles Inter Miami.

Bravos has struggled to find a base from which to build off, initially signing whichever players they could find when they moved to Liga MX in 2019, and lately have invested in older and more experienced players including some former Mexican national team players to fill its roster, but those plans have yet to yield any results.

Inter Miami has also struggled finding the right balance with their signings - but could Lionel Messi change their fortunes? We’re about to find out.

Leon (Portland Timbers) (Seattle Sounders)

Leon is a team that has different traits of several MLS Clubs. While Leon is built of good players they rarely reach out for the big names but can compete against anyone.

In terms of playing style they have a similar philosophy to the Portland Timbers putting large emphasis on playing through the wings.

And like the Seattle Sounders - they are a team with a long and successful history with a fierce regional fanbase that supports them.

Mazatlán FC (2017 Minnesota United/2018 Cincinnati)(Baltimore Colts) (Toronto FC)

If you don’t follow Liga MX, this might be the first time you hear about Mazatlán - this is the team that was previously Monarcas Morelia who had a couple of appearances in Concacaf Champions League and Copa Libertadores.

This team has an interesting history and multiple comparisons need to be made to understand this team.

When it comes to the team’s inception - we have to go to the NFL to find a comparison - the Baltimore Colts.

As the world was sheltering in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic - the ownership of Monarcas Morelia made the sudden announcement that it was moving the team to Mazatlán, after more than three decades in the city.

When it comes to the construct of the team - the closest resemblance could be Toronto FC who is made up of players who, even though are quality players, are past their prime. The key difference is that Toronto has had some of those players in the roster for a few seasons, while Mazatlán has been assembling rosters made of inexpensive players that are no longer wanted by other clubs (e.g. Ake Loba who failed to make an impact in Nashville).

And to end, the team is coming from one of the most disastrous seasons in recent Liga MX history - just think about the first half seasons Minnesota United and FC Cincinnati had when they first came to MLS.

Monterrey (Atlanta United)

Monterrey is one of the most star-studded rosters in Liga MX, which has helped the team win a good share of titles in the last few years.

The closest resemblance I see in MLS is Atlanta United, a team that is also capable of signing some of the most exciting players to the league and play in what is arguably the best stadium in each of their respective leagues.

While Atlanta doesn’t have the number of trophies Monterrey has obtained - Atlanta has a respectable resume with MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup in their shelves.

Necaxa (Chicago Fire)

Both teams have a long history in their respective leagues - but the biggest thing they have in common is that both haven’t won a league title since 1998, and since then they’ve struggled to remain relevant.

Chicago Fire moved to a soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview before coming back to Soldier Field, and went through an unsuccessful rebrand in 2020.

Necaxa’s fate has been more turbulent. The Rayos were arguably the team of the decade in the 90’s and even finished third in the 2000 FIFA Club World Cup by beating Real Madrid in penalties, but since those glory days the team got relocated from Mexico City to Aguascalientes - and endured relegation twice before coming back to the top division in 2016.

Pachuca (FC Dallas)

The “play the kids” clubs - Pachuca and Dallas have taken the lead in the development of young players in their leagues while still fielding competitive teams.

While Pachuca has had a bit more success in playing with homegrown players while winning championships - Dallas has pushed further in the number of minutes they give to their young players.

While both teams don’t have the largest fan bases in the league, both have become integral parts of Liga MX and MLS with their respective models.

Players like Hirving Lozano, Hector Herrera, Erick Gutierrez, and Rodolfo Pizarro are products of the Pachuca academy.

Puebla (Colorado Rapids)

This is one of the most difficult comparisons to make - but there is a common thread between both clubs which is how their rosters are built.

For a couple of decades now Puebla have relied on loaned players, some that are past their prime and inexperienced players.

To an extent the Rapids tend to build their roster without big names and players that may have failed to make a difference at other clubs, but at the very least the Rapids have made more ambitious moves in recent years to compete at a higher level.

Outside of the field what Colorado and Puebla have in common is being the home to the most renowned mountain ranges in each country with Puebla being the home of the Orizaba Peak and the Popocatepetl Volcano and Colorado has the rocky mountains as a backdrop.

Pumas UNAM (Columbus Crew)

While their philosophies regarding team building are different - both of these clubs are ingrained in the history of their league and both have won multiple titles.

While Pumas is a bigger club in terms of their domestic popularity - both clubs in recent years have struggled to be a consistent protagonist, with a good season typically being followed by subpar campaigns.

In the past Pumas used to be a major player in the development of young domestic players similar to what Philadelphia and Dallas do in the U.S. but has recently struggled in that front relying on signing players that emerge from other team’s academies.

Queretaro (Vancouver Whitecaps)

The reality is that there is really not much these teams have in common - Is hard to really pin down any similarities.

You can say that both clubs have not had much success in their respective league and you could be forgiven for not knowing either team was part of Liga MX or MLS.

The biggest thing each is known for is having a star in their roster at some point. The Whitecaps developed Bayern Munich’s left back Alphonso Davies, arguably the best player in Concacaf.

Meanwhile - Queretaro is known in Liga MX for signing Ronaldinho toward the end of his career - while he didn’t dominate, he helped the team reach the Clausura 2015 final.

Overall the biggest thing they have in common is that their success is measured on whether or not they make the playoffs.

Santos Laguna (Philadelphia Union)

Similar to Pachuca, Santos is a club that has invested a lot of money in its youth academy and prioritizes giving those players minutes.

Where I think Santos and Philadelphia are different from Pachuca and Dallas is that they tend to be more willing to spend to fill certain gaps in their roster.

Santos and Philadelphia seem to have options to sign players from places not many other clubs in their league can.

Tigres (LAFC)

In recent years they have become one of the top dogs in their leagues attracting and signing top players to help them win.

Both have shown the ability to reload and find new talent and both have a hated rival in their own city.

They also can brag about possibly having one of the best gameday atmospheres in their league.

Outside of that the teams differ from playing philosophies. Tigres is a team who allow their playmakers to find space and create opportunities in the final third, while LAFC tries to exploit gaps at speed, but can also resort to a more possession based approach.

The other key difference between them is the fact that Tigres tends to opt for more veteran players to keep a core for an extended period of time, a few of them have been with the team even before LAFC made its MLS debut - while LAFC tends to sign younger players it can develop and sell.

Tijuana (Houston Dynamo)

Talk about two clubs that found success early. Tijuana was founded in 2007 and quickly became one of the best clubs in the second division earning promotion to Liga MX in 2011.

18 months later the team won its first Liga MX title in 2012, which earned them a chance to play in Copa Libertadores in 2013 and make it all the way to the quarterfinals.

When it comes to Houston the success was immediate - the franchise started in San Jose and then moved to Texas after the 2005 season.

Houston Dynamo won MLS Cup in its first two years in 2006 and 2007.

Unfortunately for both, success has been hard to come by since then - with both teams only occasionally making a playoff appearance.

Toluca (DC United) (Sporting KC)

Toluca was the hottest team in the league from the late 90’s to the mid 2000s winning multiple titles and having some of the most memorable seasons in Liga MX.

Their success can be mirrored to the winning ways of D.C. United in the early years of MLS.

In more recent years - Toluca could have more similarities to how Sporting KC has been built, a combination of veteran and young players that the club hopes to keep for the long-term to give themselves stability.

While they’re not the most exciting to watch, they prioritize having a well balanced team that likes building from the back, and allow its wide players to create chances for their No. 9’s.