Guillermo Almada opened his América tenure with four victories and one draw in five matches, a cleaner start than the early run André Jardine put together at the same club. The numbers are simple enough to settle the comparison: América stayed unbeaten under Almada, scored 11 goals and allowed only three, and turned a short stretch into an immediate case for a stronger beginning.
That is why Club De Fútbol Cruz Azul vs Chicago Fire FC head-to-head standings is being searched now even though the real story sits with América’s coaching timeline. The latest win over Portland Timbers pushed Almada’s first five-match record into sharper focus and gave supporters a fresh reference point for what an opening run can look like across Liga MX and Leagues Cup.
Almada’s five games included wins over Querétaro, Santos Laguna, San Diego FC and Portland Timbers, with Atlante taking the only points off América in that span. The margin matters as much as the results. Jardine’s first five matches also produced 11 goals, but his side allowed six and lost twice, finishing with three wins and two defeats after beating Puebla, Chicago Fire and St. Louis City and falling to FC Juárez and Columbus Crew.
That is the part that makes the comparison stick. Jardine still began with an attack that could score, but Almada has paired the same 11-goal output with a tighter defense and no losses. In a sport where early results can buy patience or burn it fast, the difference between conceding three and conceding six is not cosmetic. It changes how a club’s start is judged, and it changes how quickly a new coach is trusted.
Almada summed up the feeling behind the run in plain language: “Hay que sacarse el sombrero.” The line fits the numbers. América is not just winning under him; it is winning with control, and the next test is whether that shape holds once the schedule turns again. The unanswered piece is not whether Almada has started well. It is how long he can keep the club ahead of the standard Jardine set in those first five matches.
