Four Items on Almada's To-Do List to Celebrate America's 110th Anniversary

Club America is marking 110 years of history, and as usually happens at this club, the anniversary party comes with a to-do list tucked under its arm. This time the man doing the math is Guillermo Almada, the Uruguayan coach in his first tournament in charge of the Eagles, who, like it or not, already carries the weight of living up to what the club expects to celebrate.

Because at Coapa, a solid tournament isn't good enough. They want the anniversary to show up on the field, and that means there are at least four tasks Almada has circled in red.

Reach the final, just like a decade ago

The first is almost an unwritten tradition: for the club's 100th anniversary, Ricardo La Volpe delivered by taking America to the final. Ten years later, it's the Uruguayan's turn to repeat the feat. He doesn't need to win the title right away, but at least showing up on the big stage would give the 110th anniversary celebrations that extra something the fan base is asking for.

Snap the losing streak against Pumas

Before that, there's a more immediate test: matchday 16 of the Apertura 2026 against Pumas, a rivalry match Almada inherited in poisoned shape. America has gone more than a year without beating Pumas in this matchup, a drought that stretched even further after the loss to Cruz Azul and the draw with Chivas. With the anniversary in play, beating the university side stops being an option and becomes an obligation.

Hold onto first place

Where things are going well, and by a wide margin, is in the standings. Almada's America is leading the tournament with 21 points, and on top of that, with a game in hand over its closest pursuers. The team has lost just one match all tournament, and if that pace holds, finishing as the best team of the regular phase is largely in their own hands.

Making the academy shine... and the expensive signings too

Almada has a reputation for getting the best out of young players, something he already showed during his stints at Santos and Pachuca. At America, the challenge is different: reviving an academy that had gone years without producing anyone who made a real impact on the first team. The first sign already arrived with Dagoberto Espinoza, called up to the Mexican national team after earning minutes under the Uruguayan.

But it's not just about the academy. America became Mexican soccer's most expensive roster after spending heavily on names like Miguel Borja, Carlos Alvarez, Santiago Ramos and Santiago Bueno. Justifying that spending is also on Almada's plate, and so far only Borja and Oscar Perea have performed at the expected level. The rest still owe the fan base a performance to prove the money was well spent.

Between the rivalry match he urgently needs to win, the first place he has to protect, the final he has to reach and the signings who need to wake up, Almada has more than enough to keep him busy in his first anniversary dressed in blue and gold.