Club America opened up their 2016 Clausura with a sombre 0-0 draw against Puebla FC, continuing Ignacio "Nacho" Ambriz's side's downward spiral since the fifth-place finish in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Nonetheless, president Ricardo Pelaez believes Ambriz is the right man to once again lead the team to a title, but in his first try to show it in 2016, the team didn't show any improvements that could support Pelaez's claim. America's best player during the 90 minutes was their goalkeeper, Moises Munoz.
Here are three takeaways after America's 1-1 tie at Estadio Azteca:
1. America's attack gives uninspiring performance
America's starting XI didn't include captain Rubens Sambueza and center-back Paolo Goltz, due to suspension, while Mexico international Paul Aguilar will be out for five weeks due to a knee injury he sustained in the team's only preseason friendly. All of them would have been starters on Saturday afternoon.
In the first half, America's attack looked alarmingly dysfunctional. Striker Dario "Pipa" Benedetto appeared to be Las Aguilas' only forward to understand the importance of starting off the Clausura with a win at Estadio Azteca, a place where Ambriz's team achieved only three regular-season wins last season.
Andres Andrade and Darwin Quintero, who were supposed to bring up the ball to strikers Benedetto and Oribe Peralta, jogged around Azteca's pitch looking bewildered. Benedetto and Peralta were left alone to make up their own scoring chances.
America missed Sambueza's dare, especially with one-on-ones. It was more common to see Quintero and Andrade disrupt offensive plays than to actually elaborate them. Ambriz's first substitution in the game saw Quintero step off the pitch as boos rained down from the stands. The boos for Quintero's bad performance are a reflection of America fans' disappointment on a player who cost the club millions. They haven't been able to leave the stadium knowing that Quintero has given a sublime performance.
Peralta's showing wasn't much better. The Mexican striker had one excellent opportunity to open the score early on in the second half, but his shot was blocked by goalkeeper Cristian Campestrini. The 31-year-old striker now has nine consecutive regular-season games without a goal, a scoring drought that leaves Benedetto as America's only scoring menace.
2. Moises Munoz's saves kept America in the game
It was a Munoz howler that helped Guangzhou Evergrande FC earn an unexpected 2-1 win in last year's FIFA Club World Cup. However, Munoz started off the Clausura showcasing his best goalkeeping abilities to keep America in the game.
Two stupendous saves, one in each half, prevented Puebla from leaving Azteca with a win. Puebla hasn't won a game at El Coloso de Santa Ursula since the 2011 Apertura. Munoz's game against Puebla revalidates the fact that he's still in contention to be one of Mexico's main goalkeepers, especially if Guillermo Ochoa continues to sit on the bench in Malaga.
Munoz's display was also notable considering America were missing two defensive starters -- Aguilar and Goltz. Had it not been for Munoz's performance, America's debut in their centennial year would have been much more unpleasant for the close to 30,000 fans who traveled to the stadium.
3. Puebla starts the Clausura on the same page as 2015
Under Pablo Alejandro Marini, Puebla has become a fierce team to play against. The squad doesn't provoke fear on paper, but when the game is underway, the 11 players on pitch turn into warriors and put up a fight. It's not pretty football, but it has allowed Puebla to have a competitive team, something of which not long ago was unheard of.
Puebla was the team that showed more cohesion, playing throughout 90 minutes with a clear-cut idea of what they wanted to get out of the game. The draw at Azteca feels like a win for Puebla, and one of the big problems in the Ambriz era has been the lack of determination the team shows when it plays at home.
Right now, it appears like any team, good or bad, can come to Azteca and win points.