Guillermo Almada Takes Over an América With No Money for Signings, Yet Leading Liga MX

Some coaches arrive at a club during its financial peak. Others land once the party lights have already gone dark. Guillermo Almada belongs to the second group. He took over América at a moment when the club, once used to spending freely, had suddenly shut the checkbook.

You only need to look back to understand the contrast. Under André Jardine, América spent more than $60 million on transfers: $13 million for Allan Saint-Maximin, $10 million for Kevin Álvarez, $9 million for Israel "Chiquito" Sánchez and $8 million for Alejandro Dávila, among other names. The results on the field were uneven. Those big-money additions did not always deliver as expected, though the team still managed to win three straight Liga MX titles with the Brazilian in charge.

That was precisely the problem. The Jardine era produced domestic silverware, but it also ended in a painful failure in the Concachampions, a tournament América has won seven times in its history. And it closed with a jarring collapse: elimination at the hands of LAFC in the playoff that would have decided a spot at the Club World Cup, a chance the Águilas practically had in hand before it slipped away.

That was the backdrop when Almada arrived, with the club's finances far more guarded than in the previous stretch. The Uruguayan wasn't in a position to ask for marquee reinforcements. He had to work with what was already there. And what was there, for the most part, were homegrown players, academy products, or signings who hadn't lived up to expectations under Jardine, players the coach is now trying to squeeze value out of.

So far, Almada has kept the team atop Liga MX, though the schedule hasn't yet tested him against the league's heavyweights. That real test will come in Matchday 9, when América hosts Chivas.

For now, the immediate focus is the Leagues Cup. Tonight, América plays in Los Angeles, a city with a massive Mexican fan base, against Columbus Crew in the tournament's quarterfinals. The MLS side arrives in full crisis mode: just 20 points out of a possible 63 and goalless since sending Diego Rossi to Monterrey. On the Mexican side, Monterrey and León have already advanced to the semifinals after beating Chicago Fire 2-1 and Real Salt Lake 3-0, respectively.

The stakes are significant: the top finishers in this Leagues Cup earn a direct berth into the next Concachampions, a competition that matters even more because it awards a spot at the 2029 Club World Cup, where Toluca and Cruz Azul have already secured their places.

Almada, in any case, prefers not to get ahead of himself with numbers or projections.

Games are won on the field.Guillermo Almada

A simple line, almost textbook, but one that captures his philosophy well in these early weeks: make the most of what he has, without frills, before the real exams arrive against Chivas, Toluca, Cruz Azul, Monterrey and Pumas.