The Day of Epiphany passed on Jan. 6, but Club America may soon face an uncomfortable realization in the 2015 Clausura season.
Namely, there aren't many organizations that would jettison a coach who helped the club win a league championship. The switch from Antonio Mohamed to Gustavo Matosas may be the biggest change for the club and the wisdom of the decision will immediately be put to the test against Matosas' former club Leon as the season begins this weekend.
But aside from one game, the bar is already set high for the Aguilas. Few fans will be satisfied with anything less than a serious run at a 13th title. After all, Mohamed got the team to a 12th championship, and that still wasn't enough to satisfy fans, so how can Matosas hope to stay if he achieves much less?
However, it is possible that Matosas can achieve more than Mohamed. After all, Mohamed failed to win a championship during his first season in charge. Also, in his final season, he failed to lead the club to a single victory against any of Club America's main rivals: Chivas, Pumas and Cruz Azul. Normally, these would be small quibbles that would pale in comparison to a title, but it does open the door for ways in which Matosas could surpass his predecessor.
In order to help the new coach achieve this goal, the demanding administration of the Aguilas hasn't merely changed the leadership of the squad. Now, Matosas has at his disposal player reinforcements that make the already-impressive Club America roster even stronger.
Carlos Darwin Quintero, Dario Benedetto, and Cristian Pellerano are all attacking players brought in to address the fact that the Aguilas squad struggled at times to score last season. All the players boast goal-hunting credentials, but how well they will mesh with Oribe Peralta, the returning star striker of the club, remains to be seen.
An additional change for Club America is the move of versatile Miguel Layun to Europe, joining Granada CF before being loaned to Watford for the rest of the season. The club's bid to become a primary springboard for players to gain European attention seems solid, given the recent transfers of Raul Jimenez and Layun to leagues in Europe. Although Layun was occasionally a midfielder as an Aguilas player, he usually played as a defender.
That's why Miguel Samudio, another new signing for Club America, seems an ideal replacement as a left back. Now that Mohamed isn't around to suspend him, right back Paul Aguilar should be back to good form on defense as well. Matosas will have to find out for himself if Mohamed's grievances with Aguilar were legitimate. If the characterization of Aguilar as a disgruntled player was due to a personality conflict with Mohamed, the defender may experience a renaissance under Matosas.
Aguilar is already a leader of the club as a co-captain with midfielder Rubens Sambueza, who is also capable of a sterling season. Sambueza struggled with injuries last season, yet was still effective in many of his appearances. If he has indeed healed completely, he could lead the charge for the 13th title.
At present, Club America is a team primed and prepared to defend their championship. Yet, rosters on paper have never won a championship. Matosas has been effective in the past with teams labeled as underdogs, but coaching the top dog to a title is another matter altogether. A star-studded roster can be both a blessing and a curse, because there is no excuse for the coach to hide behind if he fails to get the most out of the talent available to him.