Copa MX explained

Founded:, as Copa México
Region:Mexico
Number Of Teams:24
Domestic Cup:Supercopa MX
Current Champions:Monterrey (3rd title)
Most Successful Club:América
(6 titles)
Website: Copa MX
Broadcasters:Claro[1]
ESPN[2]
Fox Sports[3]
Grupo Imagen[4]
Televisa[5]
TV Azteca[6]
TVC Deportes[7]
Abolished:2020

The Copa MX, formerly called Copa México and Copa Corona MX (for sponsorship reasons),[8] was the Mexican football cup tournament. The first season of the professional era was held in 1942–43. The cup tournament was not held in several years (1976–1988, 1992–1994, 1997–2012) and currently the competition has been paused since the 2019–20 edition.It was the first tournament that included teams from different parts of Mexico and was considered a prestigious competition, especially during its earlier years of existence. The purpose of the competition was to determine a national cup champion, thus distinguishing it from the national league championship. Its format was different from the local leagues as well, as it employed direct elimination and culminated in a final match.

In May 2012, Liga MX president Decio de María announced the return and rebranding of the tournament as Copa MX.[9]

History

Amateur era

Copa México (1932–1942)

After the foundation of the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol in 1927, a new trophy named the Copa México was donated in 1932 and the first cup tournament organized by the FMF was contested during the 1932-33 season. This time, the competition also received official support of President Lázaro Cárdenas. The first Copa México was won by Necaxa in a tournament of historical importance due to the adoption of new rules. This marked the beginning of an 11-year period that is referred to in retrospect as the Amateur era. Once again, Asturias dominated the championship, winning it a record five times during this period.

Professional era (1942–2020)

Copa México (1942–1997)

In the 1942–43 edition the professional era of the Copa México began, a period that would last until the competition's termination in 1997. At first, it was played among teams from the Liga Mayor, which is currently Liga MX. Beginning in 1950 the teams of the Segunda División de México were also included into the competition with the exception of the 1956–57, 1963–64, 1994–95 and 1995–96 editions.

Copa MX (2012–2020)

Upon its return in 2012, the newly rebranded Copa MX was played twice a year (Apertura and Clausura tournaments), concurrent with the two league tournaments. In the Apertura tournament, 14 of the Liga MX teams not involved in the CONCACAF Champions League, play alongside 14 of the Ascenso MX teams. The 14 Ascenso MX teams were the 13 top point-earners from the season prior, plus the newly relegated team. The teams were placed into seven groups of 4. The seven group winners, plus the group runner-up with the highest point total, moved on to the quarterfinals.

Teams played 6 games in the group stage. Groups and home field advantage were determined by a blind draw. For the group draw, Liga MX teams were placed in Pot A, while Ascenso MX teams were placed in Pot B. In the home field advantage draw, no team can have more than two home games in the group stage. A blind draw determined home field advantage in the knockout rounds.

In the Clausura tournament, the 11 Liga MX teams not involved in international tournaments, played alongside the 13 Ascenso MX teams with the highest point total from the previous short tournament. Both tournaments will have the same draw format and number of group games, KO rounds for both tournaments will be single-elimination.

The new format was played twice a year, concurrent with the two league tournaments. In the Apertura tournament, all Liga MX clubs will play alongside 12 of the Ascenso MX teams. The 12 Ascenso MX teams will be the 11 top point-earners from the season prior, plus the newly relegated team. The teams will be placed into 8 groups of 3. The 8 group winners, plus the 8 group runners-up, move on to the new round (round of 16).

Teams will play four games in the group stage. Groups and home field advantage will be determined the draw by public at their annual draft. For the group draw, Liga MX teams' top 4 point-earners and Ascenso MX teams' top 4 point-earners will be placed in Pot A, while Liga MX teams' mid 4 point-earners and Ascenso MX teams' mid 4 point-earners will be placed in Pot B and Liga MX teams' last 4 point-earners and Ascenso MX teams' last 4 point-earners will be placed in Pot C. In the home field advantage draw, teams can have two home games in the group stage. A blind draw will determine home field advantage in the KO rounds.

From the 2019–20 season, the Copa MX will be played as a single tournament throughout the season. It will have the participation of 27 teams (15 from Liga MX and 12 from Ascenso MX) placed into nine groups of three. Respect to the development of the tournament, this maintains most of the 2016 format, except the division into two short tournaments. The group stage played between July and December, and the final phase played between January and April.

However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 final was postponed until November, and beforehand, it suspended play due to busy calendar issues, with the Mexican Football Federation giving preference to matches of the Mexico national football team in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, resulting in the cancellation of the 2020–21 season and the competition entering a new indefinite hiatus.

Precursor tournaments

Copa Tower

The tournament began in 1907 with the donation of the trophy by Reginald Tower, who was at the time the British ambassador to Mexico. For this reason, it was called the Copa Tower. At first, the tournament only included clubs from Mexico City and surrounding areas. Pachuca won the inaugural tournament, in 1908, by defeating Reforma in the final.In 1919, Real España won the cup for the third year straight and were allowed to keep the trophy permanently.In all, the Copa Tower was contested 15 times with Real España winning in four times in all, the best performance of the competition.

YearChampionsResultsRunners-up
1907–08Pachuca1–0British Club
1908–09Reforma2–1Pachuca
1909–10ReformaPachuca
1910–11British Club3–0Reforma
1911–12Pachucaw/oReforma
1912–13Club México3–1Rovers
1913–14Club México2–0
L'Amicale Française
1914–15Real España1–0Rovers
1915–16RoversPachuca
1916–17Real España5–1Club México
1917–18Real España1–0Tigres México
1918–19Real España4–0Club México
1919–20América1–0Asturias
1920–21Club México1–0Deportivo Internacional
1921–22Asturias2–0Germania

Copa Eliminatoria

The tournament took place for the first time in 1920. The Copa Eliminatoria was contested 7 times between 1920 and 1928. Real España won it three times, the highest total of any club during this period.

YearChampionsResultsRunners-up
1920–21Real España2–1Luz y Fuerza
1921–22Real España3–1Luz y Fuerza
1922–23Asturias2–1
Germania
1923–24Asturias3–0Real España
1924–25Necaxa1–0
América
1925–26Necaxa3–2
Asturias
1926–27
1927–28Real España3–1Asturias

Results

The first national cup tournament organized by the FMF since its founding was the 1932–33 Copa México, in the cup's amateur era.[10]

Cup tournament finals

YearChampionsResultsRunners-up
Copa México (Amateur era)
1932–33NecaxaGermania
1933–34AsturiasNecaxa
1934–35
1935–36Necaxa2–1
Asturias
1936–37AsturiasAmérica
1937–38AméricaReal España
1938–39AsturiasReal España
1939–40AsturiasNecaxa
1940–41AsturiasReal España
1941–42AtlanteNecaxa
YearChampionsResultsRunners-upManager
Copa México (Professional era)
1942–43Moctezuma5–3
Atlante Eduardo Morilla
1943–44Real EspañaAtlante Rodolfo Muñoz
1944–45PueblaAmérica Eduardo Morilla
1945–46Atlas5–4
Atlante Eduardo Valdatti
1946–47MoctezumaOro Julio Kaiser
1947–48VeracruzGuadalajara Joaquin Urquiaga
1948–49LeónAtlante Jose Maria Casullo
1949–50AtlasVeracruz Eduardo Valdatti
1950–51AtlanteGuadalajara Octavio Vial
1951–52AtlanteGuadalajara Gregorio Blasco
1952–53PueblaLeón Isidro Langara
1953–54América1–1
Guadalajara Octavio Vial
1954–55AméricaGuadalajara Octavio Vial
1955–56TolucaIrapuato Fernando Marcos
1956–57ZacatepecLeón Ignacio Trellez
1957–58León1–1
5–2
Zacatepec Antonio López Herranz
1958–59ZacatepecLeón Ignacio Trellez
1959–60NecaxaTampico Donald Ross
1960–61Tampico MaderoToluca Nicolas Palma
1961–62AtlasTampico Jose Carlos Bauer
1962–63GuadalajaraAtlante Javier De la Torre
1963–64América0–0
1–1
Monterrey Alejandro Scopelli
1964–65AméricaMorelia Alejandro Scopelli
1965–66NecaxaLeón Miguel Marin
1966–67LeónGuadalajaraLuis Grill
1967–68AtlasVeracruz Javier Novello
1968–69Cruz Azul2–1
Monterrey Raúl Cardenas
1969–70GuadalajaraTorreón Javier de la Torre
1970–71León0–0
Zacatepec Antonio Carbajal
1971–72LeónZacatepec Antonio Carbajal
1972–73
1973–74AméricaCruz Azul José Antonio Roca
1974–75Pumas UNAMUdeG Árpád Fekete
1975–76Tigres UANLAmérica Claudio Lostanau
1976–1987
1987–88Puebla0–0
1–1
away goals
Cruz Azul Hugo Fernández
1988–89Toluca1–1
2–1
UdeG Héctor Sanabria
1989–90PueblaTigres UANL Manuel Lapuente
1990–91UdeGAmérica Alberto Guerra
1991–92MonterreyCobras Miguel Mejía Barón
1992–1994
1994–95NecaxaVeracruz Manuel Lapuente
1995–96Tigres UANLAtlas Victor Manuel Vucetich
1996–97Cruz AzulToros Neza Victor Manuel Vucetich
1997–2012
Copa MX
Apertura 2012Sinaloa2–2
UAT Francisco Javier Ramírez
Clausura 2013Cruz Azul0–0
Atlante Guillermo Vázquez
Apertura 2013Morelia3–3
Atlas Carlos Bustos
Clausura 2014Tigres UANLOaxaca Ricardo Ferretti
Apertura 2014Santos Laguna2–2
Puebla Pedro Caixinha
Clausura 2015PueblaGuadalajara José Guadalupe Cruz
Apertura 2015GuadalajaraLeón Matías Almeyda
Clausura 2016VeracruzNecaxa Carlos Reinoso
Apertura 2016Querétaro0–0
Guadalajara Víctor Manuel Vucetich
Clausura 2017Guadalajara0–0
Morelia Matías Almeyda
Apertura 2017MonterreyPachuca Antonio Mohamed
Clausura 2018NecaxaToluca Ignacio Ambríz
Apertura 2018Cruz AzulMonterrey Pedro Caixinha
Clausura 2019AméricaJuárez Miguel Herrera
2019–20MonterreyTijuana Antonio Mohamed

Champions

ClubChampionsRunners-upWinning years
América631953–54, 1954–55, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1973–74, Clausura 2019
León551948–49, 1957–58, 1966–67, 1970–71, 1971–72
Puebla511944–45, 1952–53, 1987–88, 1989–1990, Clausura 2015
Guadalajara481962–63, 1969–70, Apertura 2015, Clausura 2017
Atlas421945–46, 1949–50, 1961–62, 1969–70
Cruz Azul421968–69, 1996–97, Clausura 2013, Apertura 2018
Necaxa411959–60, 1965–66, 1994–95, Clausura 2018
Monterrey331991–92, Apertura 2017, 2019–20
Tigres UANL311975–76, 1995–96, Clausura 2014
Atlante261950–51, 1951–52
Veracruz231947–48, Clausura 2016
Zacatepec231956–57, 1958–59
Toluca221955–56, 1988–89
Moctezuma201942–43, 1946v47
Tampico121960v61
UdeG121990–91
Morelia12Apertura 2013
Real España101943–44
Pumas UNAM101974–75
Sinaloa10Apertura 2012
Santos Laguna10Apertura 2014
Querétaro10Apertura 2016
Oro01
Irapuato01
Torreón01
Cobras01
Toros Neza01
UAT01
Oaxaca01
Pachuca01
Juárez01
Tijuana01

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. includes Claro Sports
  2. includes ESPN 2
  3. includes Fox Sports 2
  4. includes Imagen Televisión and Excélsior TV
  5. Includes Canal 5, Gala TV, Las Estrellas, Sky México, TDN and Univisión TDN
  6. includes Azteca 7 and Azteca Uno
  7. includes TVC Deportes 2
  8. Web site: COPA MX - Página Oficial de la Liga Mexicana del Fútbol Profesional.
  9. Web site: La Copa MX inicia la prueba de fuego tras 15 años de ausencia. CNN México. 24 July 2012.
  10. Web site: México - List of Cup Winners.