Another Absence for América: Almada's Midfield Experiment Without Veiga and Borja

Remember that evening at Estadio Azteca when no one in América's dugout was sitting still. Before the 12th matchday of Liga MX, coach Guillermo Almada had a list with two names missing — Miguel Borja, out through suspension, and Raphael Veiga, rested as a precaution. Their simultaneous absence shook the spine of América's attack. Without Borja, there was no pure striker; without Veiga, no primary creator. What Almada did was a bold experiment — deploying Álex Álvarez, who had played all season on the wing, as a central enganche. It was a decision that not only changed the team's shape but also altered the career direction of a player who had never learned to play from that position. América are in the Liga MX title race this season, yet after 12 matchdays Almada has not been able to establish a settled starting XI. That fact is a signal in itself — for a team that competes for the title every year, not having a 'base XI' after so many matches is a cause for concern. Borja's suspension and Veiga's precautionary absence deepened that instability. Veiga, the Brazilian midfielder, not only scores goals but is also the team's chief set-piece delivery man. Without him, América lose a major weapon for putting the ball into the box. Without Borja, they also lose the aerial threat that can turn crosses into goals. That was the moment Almada chose Henry Martín as the sole striker — a player in the later phase of his career whose strength lies more in bringing the ball to feet than in battling inside the penalty area. Now comes the central question of this article: is playing Álvarez centrally a tactical innovation, or a forced decision? In my experience, whenever a coach converts a winger into an enganche, it is often a 'fix' rather than a 'plan'. All of Álvarez's minutes and starts have come on the wing — where he enjoys the freedom to go 1v1 in space and benefit from acceleration. In the middle, he will have to receive with his back to goal, scan in less space, and face quicker pressure. It is a completely different environment. Álvarez's greatest asset — pace in space — is halved here. And since Henry Martín is a link-up forward who wants the ball to feet, the space available to Álvarez shrinks even further. It is a chain in which each link weakens the next. There is another aspect of this experiment that is often overlooked — the structure of the double pivot. Erick Sánchez is a box-to-box midfielder, and Israel Reyes is a centre-back being deployed in midfield. The pairing means neither is a natural deep-lying tempo-setter. Build-up responsibility is pushed onto the centre-backs and onto Álvarez dropping deep — which takes him away from the zone where a playmaker is most dangerous. It is a structural imbalance that is visible on the pitch. Now the counter-intuitive side: is Almada's experiment actually a positive signal? The media are framing it as 'worrying', but for me it is also evidence of a coach's adaptability. Under pressure, coaches often become more rigid, clinging to their principles. Almada did the opposite — he tried a new option. However, this experiment is happening at a time when the Liga MX regular season is only 17 matchdays long. 12 matchdays have passed, meaning roughly 70% of the sample is gone. Only five matches remain before the liguilla. Trialling a new role at this stage, when points matter most, is risky. But there is one thing that puts this whole debate in a different light. Liga MX has youth-minute rules and foreign-player slot constraints. If these rules are active, part of Almada's 'instability' may be due to these regulations rather than merely his incompetence. This is an aspect the media often skip. In my experience, whenever a coach is criticised, we should first read the rules that bind his hands. Even Borja's suspension — is it card accumulation or disciplinary? The distinction matters. If it is disciplinary, it could become a long-term problem. América's squad is going through an interesting transition. On one hand there are experienced forwards like Henry Martín, on the other young defenders like Sebastián Bueno and Israel Reyes. The mix shows the team is in a generational shift. But amid this change, Almada has no time to build a stable foundation. Veiga's precautionary absence is also a signal — the club does not want to risk its expensive foreign player. It is a financial decision as much as a medical one. Watching Liga MX over the past few years, I remember how clubs like América have always bought stars rather than developed them. It is a strategy that delivers short-term success, but when the coach changes or injuries strike, the team has no domestic spine. That is the central tension of this article. Finally, a question that ties this whole story together: is Almada's experiment a temporary fix or the start of a new direction? If Álvarez succeeds centrally, it could be a new weapon for América. But if he fails, it will be another link in the instability that is defining this season. The next five Liga MX matches will decide. And when the liguilla begins next month, we may learn whether Almada has started something new or simply covered another absence.