New York City Football Club face Club Tigres on Tuesday in their Round of 16 game in the 2024 Leagues Cup.
To learn more about opponents we compiled a scout report on Los Auriazules.
Year Established: 1960
Major Honors
Liga MX: Winners: 1977–78, 1981–82, Apertura 2011, Apertura 2015, Apertura 2016, Apertura 2017, Clausura 2019, Clausura 2023
Copa MX Winners: 1975-76, 1995-1996, Clausura 2014
Campéon de Campeones: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023
Concacaf Champions League Winners: 2020
Campeones Cup Winners: 2018, 2023
Nicknames
The team goes by several nicknames, some perhaps more obvious than others. The main one of these is, Los Tigres (The Tigers). The second is La U de Nuevo León. This is in reference to Tigres being the official team for the University of the state of Nuevo León. In fact, they were the first team from Nuevo León to win a trophy by securing the Copa MX against Club América. Los Auriazules (The Golden-blue ones) is a reference to the team's iconic colors, and Los Tigres de México (The Tigers from Mexico) is their other notable nickname for obvious reasons.
Club Legend
Tigres are not short of club legends. A number of prominent Mexican internationals have played for the club including Claudio Suarez and Carlos Salcido.
Retired defender Hugo Ayala is their all-time appearance leader and currently serves as assistant coach. He won four Aperturas with the club and one Clausura. as well as a Copa MX crown, three Campéon de Campeones titles, a Campeones Cup, and a Concacaf Champions League during his twelve-year spell as a player.
Elsewhere, André-Pierre Gignac will be familiar to fans of French football after spells with Toulouse and Marseille in his homeland. The veteran striker has been a huge success since relocating to Liga MX in 2015 and alongside teammate Guido Pizzaro serves as an experienced head for the team. Pizzaro, a defender by trade, is in his second spell with Tigres – having spent one year at Spanish side Sevilla before returning to the club in 2018.
Special mention also to Nahuel Guzmán, an eccentric, but talented goalkeeper who has been with the club since 2014.
Coach
Veljko Paunović is a name familiar to many MLS fans. The former Serbian international finished his playing career with the Philadelphia Union and later took up a coaching position with the Chicago Fire in 2015.
He was appointed Head Coach of Tigres in June after a spell with Liga MX rivals Chivas de Guadalajara. He has enjoyed a strong start to his time in charge, losing just one of his first nine games – including an unbeaten start to the Apertura campaign.
Tactics
Paunović has predominantly used a 4-2-3-1 system even though he is more known for a 4-3-3 system. His side plays with intensity and tries to win the ball back high up the field. That trait can perhaps best be seen during their 2-1 Leagues Cup group stage win against Inter Miami CF.
In the build-up to Tigres’ first goal a cross into the box is intercepted by Inter Miami. As Miami attempt to clear, Tigres left-back Jesús Angulo squeezes up, heads the ball back into the danger area, and three touches later the ball is in the net thanks to a wonderful volley from Jesus Brunetta.
Tigres have no issue trying to build out from the back, but try to be direct and intentional with their play, moving up the pitch quickly when the moment presents itself. When Gignac leads the line, crosses become a dangerous avenue of attack for Tigres due to his aerial prowess.
Star Man
While Gignac represents a pedigreed option, the aforementioned Brunetta is also a big threat in what is a talented Tigres side.
The 27-year-old Argentinian forward joined Tigres from Liga MX side Santos Laguna at the start of 2024. Able to play out wide or in a central area, his ability to produce a moment of magic makes him a major threat for Tigres. Shining during the recent All-Star match between Liga MX and MLS, (he was named MVP of the match) he will need to be carefully monitored during Tuesday’s game.
