- Club America form: Club America have won one, drawn three and lost one of their last five matches.
- San Diego form: San Diego FC have won two, drawn four and lost four of their last 10 matches.
- Home record: Club America have conceded seven goals in their five home matches across all competitions.
American giants will like to roll over visitors
Tactical battle
The matchup of styles at Estadio Azteca on Friday should be a spicy one as the high-intensity, vertical game of Guillermo Almada's Club America seeks to overwhelm the possession, structure and short-passing of Mikey Varas's San Diego FC.
Recent form
A 1-0 away win over Gallos Blancos Queretaro and a 1-1 away draw with CF Atlante suggest Almada has hit upon a formula that could work as the club begin to build an identity around his ideas. That's two steady performances in a row for America after a shaky start, but it's not been enough to have the home crowd firmly in their corner yet. Across all competitions, America have one win, two draws and two defeats from five home games and, as such, home advantage isn't having as much of an effect as usual.
San Diego can make a match of it
The odds reflect the fact that this is a huge mismatch in theory, with America priced at 1.54, San Diego FC 5.25 and the draw at 4.0. But San Diego have a mixed record and shouldn't be underestimated in this clash.
The visitors come into the game on the back of a 1-0 win at home to FC Dallas and a 1-1 draw away to Minnesota United, but the 1-0 defeat they suffered away to Colorado Rapids is a reminder of their road problems. Across all competitions, San Diego FC have failed to win any of their four road games, drawing two and losing two. They've scored an average of 0.50 goals per game away from home and conceded 1.00 per game, so they won't trouble the American defence much if they cannot get their build-up right.
America have the finishing touch
But the game is likely to be a lot tighter than the odds suggest, with San Diego's style of play capable of keeping it close enough for America's superiority to tell.
- Backing Over 2.5 goals at 1.59 and Both Teams To Score – Yes at 1.67 are the main selections for this game.
- Almada's system can be very successful when America pick up the ball in transition and hit the visitors with numbers wide while San Diego's high line will be vulnerable to the press.
- Alex Zendejas is the danger man to watch for the home side as he has three goals in the last five games and looks to be taking on the responsibility of finishing the play off.
