Necaxa has appeared to be a team on a mission so far in this year's Interliga tournament. The team from Aguascalientes has been perfect through group play claiming all nine points on offer and amassing a plus three goal differential and the top spot heading into Saturday's final. Necaxa's opponent Saturday will be new kid on the block Jaguares, which was founded in just 2002.
Despite a rich history dating back 83 years, Necaxa has established a reputation as a team that fails to get results when it matters most. That is something this year's squad is looking to change.
"Since the first game, our mentality was visible. We want to change that stigma that we have of being a team that plays well but does not get results," said Gerardo Galindo. "We have a great opportunity of going to South America directly in front of us and we hope to take advantage of it."
A win on Saturday will send Necaxa straight through to the Copa Libertadores as the top qualifier out of the Interliga tournament. The team has placed a great deal of importance on this tournament and has made the sacrifices necessary to have made it this far.
"We sacrificed a lot for this tournament. We were the only team to arrive here before the New Year and we missed that time away from our families," said Aaron Padilla. "But winning this tournament would be a great step forward and help us going into the regular season."
In addition to a spot in the Copa Libertadores, Necaxa is looking for a little redemption following a disappointing regular season. Necaxa finished at the bottom of their group during the 2006 Apertura and are hoping to improve on that finish heading into the 2007 Clausura campaign. A win on Saturday just might be the launching pad required to do that.
"This would be a magnificent accomplishment for this club and the people of Aguascalientes," said Kleber, who leads the team in scoring with three goals so far in the tournament. "We owe it to our fans because we did not do well in league last year."
While few fans can complain about their performance so far in Interliga, the job is far from finished. A loss on Saturday night will completely erase the hard work done during the group stages of the tournament, a fact not lost on the players.
"This group has worked extremely hard since November. But Necaxa has won nothing as of yet," said Galindo. "We continue to work towards our goal and we believe in the work that is being done."
Necaxa will look to put the finishing touches on a an Interliga tournament that has been nothing short of brilliant up to this point. A game Jaguares side stands in the way of this team finishing what it started, but with a place in the Copa Libeurtadores on the line don't expect a slip up from Necaxa in the finals.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to InterLiga.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the tournament's organizers or clubs.
