'No one wants to face América' - Brian Rodríguez sends message ahead of the Liguilla as club look to reclaim dominance

With only two rounds left in the Apertura 2025 regular season, América remain one of five clubs fighting for the top spot in the standings. It won’t be easy - Cruz Azul hold a four-point lead and injuries have disrupted the campaign - but Rodríguez insists that Las Águilas “can’t aim for anything less.”

Speaking ahead of their match against León, the Uruguayan attacker emphasized that América must recover their injured players to make a strong push in the postseason. He admitted that the team has been hit hard by a congested calendar and the demands of international duty, but remains confident that regaining full fitness will make all the difference.

“Getting everyone back is key,” Rodríguez said. “These are things we can’t control - no one wants to get injured - but when you have so many games and international breaks, it’s tough. Managing that workload is essential. Having the full squad together again is the way forward.”

Rodríguez reflected on last season’s final loss to Toluca, suggesting that missing several key players proved costly. He believes that with a healthy roster, América would be nearly unstoppable.

“Against Toluca we were missing important players. With a complete team, it’s a different story,” he noted. “No one wants to face América - at any stage - and even less when we’re at full strength. That’s why we’re working to make sure everyone’s ready.”

At the moment, Las Águilas are dealing with injuries to Henry Martín, José Zúñiga, and Alejandro Zendejas.

Despite some ups and downs this season, Rodríguez reaffirmed América’s ambition to finish as high as possible in the standings, saying that settling for second or third place simply isn’t acceptable.

“When you understand what it means to play for América, you know we should always aim for first place,” he said. “We can’t be satisfied with less. We’re the biggest team in Mexico - that’s just the reality.”

The Uruguayan winger has seen his playing time reduced since the arrival of Allan Saint-Maximin, a situation he admits hasn’t been easy. That said, he remains confident they can share the field moving forward.

“When Saint-Maximin arrived, my goal was always to play alongside him,” Rodríguez said. “I know he can play on my side, and honestly, he’s a huge asset for us. We all know the kind of player he is and the quality he brings. I don’t see it as something negative - quite the opposite.

"I’ve stayed calm and focused, thinking that his presence can actually make me better. Having someone with the same or even greater potential pushes you to raise your own level, and that’s what we want here.”

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