Cruz Azul captain Carlos Rodríguez said before the first leg of the Liga MX final against Pumas de la UNAM that winning the championship would be the cherry on top of his season, a title he has not lifted since arriving at the club.
Rodríguez, also known as Charly Rodriguez, spoke at a press conference on the eve of the final and kept the focus on the chance in front of him. For him, finishing with the Liga MX crown would complete a campaign that has put him in the middle of one of the biggest stages in Mexican soccer.
He also used the appearance to revisit a disappointment that is still fresh. Rodríguez said it hurt him not to appear in Javier Aguirre's first list for the World Cup and described the omission as a hard blow, even as he said he still keeps hope of making the final call-up.
The discussion mattered because Rodríguez has been widely viewed as one of the standout players of the liguilla, and Cruz Azul now has a title in reach that its captain has not yet won since joining the club. That makes the final both a team opportunity and a personal chance to settle unfinished business.
The tension around his situation is plain: Rodríguez can end the season with a domestic title and still wake up with his place on Mexico's World Cup list unresolved. He made clear he is not closing that door, saying he does not rule out being part of Javier Aguirre's final squad.
