Copa MX
 | |
| Founded | 1907 |
|---|---|
| Region | Mexico |
| Number of teams |
Apertura: 28 Clausura: 24 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Supercopa MX |
| International cup(s) | Copa Libertadores |
| Current champions | Veracruz (2nd title) |
| Most successful club(s) |
Amateur era: Asturias (8 titles) Professional era: América, León, Puebla (5 titles) |
| Television broadcasters |
ESPN Fox Sports Sky Sports Televisa Deportes TV Azteca TVC Deportes |
| Website | Copa MX |
 Clausura 2016 Copa MX | |
The Copa MX (formerly called Copa Tower, Copa Eliminatoria, and Copa México) is a Mexican football cup competition that was established in 1907. After a lengthy hiatus that began in 1997, it was restored in 2012. The cup is currently sponsored by Corona beer and thus officially known as the Copa Corona MX.[1]
On early editions of the cup, it consisted of both professional and amateur stages. It was the first official tournament that included teams from different parts of Mexico and was considered a prestigious tournament, especially during its earlier years of existence. The original purpose of the competition was to determine a national champion, thus distinguishing it from the local league championship. Its format was different from the local leagues as well, as it employed direct elimination and culminated in a final that received much more fanfare than the local leagues.
The current competition is contested twice a year in an Apertura and Clausura format similar to the Liga MX. The winners of each edition contest the Supercopa MX, which awards qualification as Mexico's third berth to the following year's Copa Libertadores.
The cup has twice been placed on hiatus by the Mexican Football Federation – between 1976 and 1988 and between 1992 and 1994 – with the 1997 edition of the tournament being the last time the Copa México was held before it was placed on an indefinite hiatus. In May 2012, when Liga MX president Decio de María announced the return and rebranding of the tournament.[2]
History
Copa Tower (1907–1919)
The Copa México began in 1907 with the donation of the trophy by Reginald Tower, who was at the time the British ambassador to Mexico. For this reason, it was originally called the Copa Tower. At first, the tournament only included clubs from Mexico City and the surrounding areas. Pachuca won the inaugural tournament, in 1908, by defeating Reforma AC in the final. In 1919, Real España won the cup for the third year straight and were allowed to keep the trophy permanently. In all, the Copa Tower was contested 11 times, with Real España winning it four times in all, the best performance of the period.
Copa Eliminatoria (1919–1932)
In 1920, the tournament took place for the first time with a new trophy, the Copa Eliminatoria. It was contested six times between the years 1920 and 1926. Asturias F.C. won it three times during this period (consecutively from 1922–1924), the highest total of any team during this period.
Copa México (1932–1997)
Amateur Period (1932–1943)
After the foundation of the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol in 1927, a new trophy, named the Copa México, was donated in 1932. Following a six-year hiatus, the cup was contested again during the 1932–33 season. This time, the competition also received official support of President Lázaro Cárdenas. The first Copa México was won by Necaxa in a tournament of historical importance due to the adoption of new rules. This marked the beginning of an 11-year period that is referred to in retrospect as the Amateur Period. Once again, Asturias F.C. dominated the championship, winning it a record 5 times during this period.
Professional Period (1943–1997)
In 1943 the Professional Period of the Copa México began, a period that would last until the competition's termination in 1997. At first, it was played among teams from the then-Liga Mayor, the present-day Primera Division de Mexico. Beginning in 1950 the teams of the Segunda División de México were also included into the competition with the exception of the 1956–57, 1963–64, 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons.
Copa MX (2012–present)
The new format will be played twice a year, during each short tournament. In the Fall tournament, 14 of the Liga MX teams not involved in the CONCACAF Champions League, will play alongside 14 of the Ascenso MX teams. The 14 Ascenso MX teams will be the 13 top point-earners from the season prior, plus the newly relegated team. The teams will be placed into 7 groups of 4. The 7 group winners, plus the group runner-up with the highest point total, move on to the quarterfinals.
Teams will play 3 games in the group stage. Groups and home field advantage will be determined by a blind draw. For the group draw, 1st division teams will be placed in Pot A, while 2nd division teams will be placed in Pot B. In the home field advantage draw, no team can have more than 2 home games in the group stage. A blind draw will determine home field advantage in the KO rounds.
In the Spring tournament, the 11 Liga MX teams not involved in international tournaments, will play alongside the 13 Ascenso MX teams with the highest point total from the previous short tournament. Teams will be put in 6 groups of 4. The 11 first division teams, plus the 3 highest second division point-earners from the previous short tournament, will be in Pot A. The rest will be put in pot B. The 6 group winners, along with the 2 runners-up with the highest point total, will move on to the quarterfinals. Both tournaments will have the same draw format and number of group games. KO rounds for both tournaments will be single-elimination.
List of finals
Amateur era (1907–1943)
From 1907 to 1919 the tournament was played under the name Copa Tower, from 1919 to 1932 the tournament was played under the name Copa Eliminatoria. In 1932 it was played under the name Copa Mexico.
|
|
|
Professional era (1943–1997)
|
|
Copa MX
2: Group Round (In 1971–72 the 4 teams were León, Puebla, Guadalajara, and Cruz Azul)
3: On away goals
List of winners
Amateur era
| Club | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Asturias | 8 | 6 |
| Club España | 4 | 6 |
| Necaxa | 4 | 2 |
| Pachuca | 2 | 2 |
| Reforma AC | 2 | 3 |
| México FC | 2 | 2 |
| América | 1 | 3 |
| British FC | 1 | 0 |
| Rovers FC | 1 | 0 |
| Atlante | 1 | 0 |
| Moctezuma | 1 | 0 |
Professional era
| Club | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| León | 5 | 4 |
| América | 5 | 3 |
| Puebla | 5 | 3 |
| Atlas | 4 | 1 |
| Guadalajara | 3 | 6 |
| Cruz Azul | 3 | 2 |
| UANL | 3 | 1 |
| Necaxa | 3 | 1 |
| Atlante | 2 | 4 |
| Zacatepec | 2 | 2 |
| Toluca | 2 | 1 |
| Veracruz | 2 | 3 |
| Tampico Madero | 1 | 2 |
| U. de G. | 1 | 2 |
| Monterrey | 1 | 2 |
| Morelia | 1 | 1 |
| Santos | 1 | 0 |
| Sinaloa | 1 | 0 |
| Club España | 1 | 0 |
| Moctezuma | 1 | 0 |
| UNAM | 1 | 0 |
| Oro | 0 | 1 |
| Irapuato | 0 | 1 |
| Torreón | 0 | 1 |
| Cobras | 0 | 1 |
| Neza | 0 | 1 |
| Correcaminos | 0 | 1 |
| Alebrijes | 0 | 1 |
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.lacopamx.net/cancha/detallenoticia/12011
- ↑ "La Copa MX inicia la prueba de fuego tras 15 años de ausencia". CNN México. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ↑ Some sources say that the Copa Tower was played in 1912–1913 and the champions were Rovers FC
- ↑ Some sources say that Germania won the cup in 1919
External links
- Official site
- Mexico - List of Cup Winners, RSSSF.com
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||