The 2020–21 Liga de Expansión MX season was the first professional season of the second-tier football division in Mexico. The season was divided into two short tournaments (Guard1anes 2020 and Guardianes 2021), each tournament with 16 participating clubs and the same competition format. The Guard1anes 2020 started on 18 August 2020 and concluded on 20 December 2020. The Guard1anes 2021 started on 12 January 2021 and conclude in May 2021.
Changes from the previous season The Liga de Expansión MX is a Mexican football league founded in 2020 as part of the Mexican Football Federation's "Stabilization Project", which has the primary objective of rescuing the financially troubled teams from the Ascenso MX and prevent the disappearance of a second-tier league in Mexico, for which there will be no promotion and relegation during the following six years. The project also attempts for Liga MX and former Ascenso MX teams to consolidate stable projects with solid basis, sports-wise and administrative-wise, financially wise and in infrastructure.
Atlante F.C. was relocated from Cancún to Mexico City. Club Atlético Zacatepec was moved to Morelia and was renamed as Atlético Morelia. Cafetaleros de Chiapas was moved to Cancún and renamed as Cancún F.C. Tapatío and Pumas Tabasco, entered to the league as Liga MX affiliate teams. Tepatitlán F.C. and Tlaxcala F.C. were accepted as an expansion teams.
Stadiums and locations +ClubCityStadiumCapacityAtlanteMexico CityCiudad de los Deportes33,000Atlético MoreliaMorelia, MichoacánMorelos35,000CancúnCancún, Quintana RooAndrés Quintana Roo18,844CelayaCelaya, GuanajuatoMiguel Alemán Valdés23,182Pumas TabascoVillahermosa, TabascoOlímpico de Villahermosa12,000OaxacaOaxaca City, OaxacaTecnológico de Oaxaca14,598SinaloaCuliacán, SinaloaDorados20,108SonoraHermosillo, SonoraHéroe de Nacozari18,747Tampico MaderoTampico/Ciudad Madero, TamaulipasTamaulipas19,667TapatíoZapopan, JaliscoAkron49,850TepatitlánTepatitlán de Morelos, JaliscoGregorio "Tepa" Gómez8,085TlaxcalaTlaxcala City, TlaxcalaTlahuicole9,462UATCiudad Victoria, TamaulipasMarte R. Gómez10,520U. de G.Guadalajara, JaliscoJalisco55,020VenadosMérida, YucatánCarlos Iturralde15,087ZacatecasZacatecas City, ZacatecasCarlos Vega Villalba20,068
Personnel and kits Club Chairman Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor(s)Atlante Jorge Santillana Mario García Covalles Lizandro Echeverría UIN Sports BetcrisAtlético Morelia Víctor Manuel Arana Ricardo Valiño Arturo Ledesma Keuka Akron, Avocados from MexicoCancún José Luis Orantes Costanzo Christian Giménez Juan Basulto Keuka Cancún, Riviera MayaCelaya Alan Achar Israel Hernández Leobardo López Keuka BachocoOaxaca Juan Carlos Jones Oscar Fernando Torres Óscar Torres Silver Sport Patsa, Ópticas América, ADOPumas TabascoRamón Neme Alejandro Pérez Julio Barragán Nike DHLSinaloa José Antonio Núñez Rafael García José Lugo Charly Coppel, Caliente, SukarneSonora Juan Pablo Rojo Gabriel Pereyra Miguel Vallejo Keuka Yiuppi, El ImparcialTampico Madero Carlos Gutiérrez Riera Gerardo Espinoza José Ávila Charly NexumTapatío Amaury Vergara Alberto Coyote Sergio Flores Puma CalienteTepatitlán Víctor Flores Cosío Paco Ramírez Luis Robles Carrara PacíficaTlaxcala Rafael Torre Mendoza Irving Rubirosa Francisco Uscanga Keuka Providencia, TlaxcalaUAT Miguel Mansur Pedraza Hibert Ruíz Abraham Riestra Silver Sport U. de G. Jorge Dávalos José Hernández Umbro ElectrolitVenados Rodolfo Rosas Cantillo Carlos Gutiérrez Armando Navarrete U-Sports YucatánZacatecas Eduardo López Muñoz Omar Alexis Moreno Manuel Madrid Spiro Fresnillo plc, Mobil
Managerial changes
Club Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table Ref.Pre-Guard1anes 2020 changesCelaya Héctor Altamirano Sacked 23 April 2020 Israel Hernández 1 July 2020Preseason Zacatecas Oscar Torres Sacked 11 June 2020 Omar Alexis Moreno 1 July 2020 Sonora Isaac Morales Sacked 12 May 2020 Gabriel Pereyra 3 July 2020 Atlante Alex Diego Signed by Querétaro 12 June 2020 Mario García Covalles 20 July 2020Oaxaca Alejandro Pérez Mutual agreement 4 July 2020 Oscar Fernando Torres 10 July 2020 Pre-Guard1anes 2021 changesSinaloa David Patiño Sacked 30 November 2020 Rafael García 21 December 2020 Preseason Pumas Tabasco Carlos Humberto González Moved to UNAM U–20 21 December 2020 Alejandro Pérez 21 December 2020 Guard1anes 2021 changesUAT Roberto Hernández Sacked 11 March 2021 Hibert Ruíz 11 March 2021 14th
Torneo Guard1anes 2020 The Guard1anes 2020 season was the 1st season of Liga de Expansión MX. The regular season began on 18 August 2020 and ended on 20 December 2020. The Apertura tournament was named Torneo Guard1anes 2020 in honour of the job healthcare workers have done during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
Regular season
Standings
Positions by round
Results Each team plays once all other teams in 15 rounds regardless of it being a home or away match.
Regular season statistics
Top goalscorers Players sorted first by goals scored, then by last name. Rank Player Club Goals1 Alberto Alvarado MorínUAT7 Lizandro EcheverríaAtlante Guillermo MartínezCelaya Gustavo Ramírez Atlético Morelia5 Juan José CaleroZacatecas6 Eduardo Pérez Atlético Morelia Raúl Zúñiga Sinaloa8 Juan David AnguloTepatitlán 5 Franco ArizalaOaxaca Luis GarcíaAtlante Luis HernándezZacatecas Ángel Adán LópezSonora Óscar MacíasTapatío Miguel Ángel VallejoSonora Óscar VillaSonora
Source:Liga de Expansión MX
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Round Reference David AnguloTepatitlánU. de G.3–2 (H)17 November 202015 (H) – Home; (A) – Away
Final phase
Reclassification
Bracket
Quarter-finals
First leg
Second leg
Semi-finals
First leg
Second leg
Final
First leg
Second leg
Torneo Guard1anes 2021 The Clausura tournament will be named Guard1anes 2021, in honor of the doctors and health professionals in the country who fight against COVID-19.
The Guard1anes 2021 began on 12 January 2021. Tampico Madero are the defending champions.
Regular season Standings
Positions by round
Results Each team plays once all other teams in 15 rounds regardless of it being a home or away match.
Regular season statistics
Top goalscorers Players sorted first by goals scored, then by last name. Rank Player Club Goals1 Julio César CruzOaxaca102 Diego JiménezAtlético Morelia83 Sergio VergaraCelaya74 Vladimir MoragregaAtlante6 Raúl ZúñigaSinaloa6 Juan José CaleroZacatecas5 Ronaldo CisnerosTapatío Héctor MascorroZacatecas Eduardo Pérez Atlético Morelia10 Jonathan BetancourtSonora4 Eleuterio JiménezCelaya Daniel LajudTampico Madero Ricardo Saúl MonrealOaxaca
Source: Liga de Expansión MX
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Julio César Cruz OaxacaPumas Tabasco 3–1 9 February 2021
Attendance
Highest and lowest Highest attended Lowest attended Week Home Score Away Attendance Home Score Away Attendance 1 No matches with fans in attendance23456789101112 Tapatío 1–2 Sinaloa 58 N/A13 No matches with fans in attendance14 Cancún 2–0 U de G 2,656 Tapatío 1–1 Venados 8515 No matches with fans in attendance
Source: Liga Expansión MX
Final phase Reclassification
Bracket
Quarter-finals
First leg
Second leg
Semi-finals
First leg
Second leg
Final
First leg
Second leg
Campeón de Campeones 2021
The Campeón de Campeones was the Super cup of the division between the champions of Guard1anes 2020 and Guard1anes 2021 tournaments. The final would not be played if the same team wins both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. The higher ranked team on the aggregate table for the 2020–21 season will play the second leg at home. The winner of the final will receive a prize of $MXN 5 million.
First leg
GK 33 Kefrén AvilésDF 2 César BernalDF 3 Óscar ManzanarezDF 8 Marco Ruíz DF 13 Carlos RoblesMF 17 José LozanoMF 19 Edson GarcíaMF 6 Aldo LópezMF 7 Daniel LajudFW 9 Nahum GómezFW 11 Antonio López (c)Substitutions:GK 25 Estuardo AzaharDF 4 Luis Flores DF 15 Gabriel VeraMF 16 José HernándezMF 5 Germán EguadeMF 14 Joel PérezMF 23 Jared SimentalFW 26 Manuel LópezFW 10 Giovani HernándezFW 31 Fabián SalasManager: Gerardo Espinoza
GK 1 Andrés SánchezDF 5 Sergio CeballosDF 14 Javier MedinaDF 19 Said CastañedaDF 6 Pável PérezMF 7 Ángel Tecpanécatl MF 8 Luis MoralesMF 18 Luis Robles (c)MF 25 Alexis JuárezFW 9 Víctor MañónFW 27 David AnguloSubstitutions:GK 35 Bernardo AguilarDF 2 Fernando PonceDF 4 Daniel AguiñagaMF 16 Cristian GonzálezMF 26 Luis MárquezMF 33 Jorge LumbrerasFW 13 Alonso ValadézFW 20 Javier HernándezFW 23 Diego MedinaManager: Paco Ramírez
Assistant referees: Manuel Alfonso Martinez Sanchez Jaime Daniel González Ramírez Fourth official: Ismael Rosario Lopez Peñuelas
Second leg
GK 1 Andrés SánchezDF 4 Daniel AguiñagaDF 14 Javier MedinaDF 19 Said CastañedaMF 6 Pável PérezMF 7 Ángel TecpanécatlMF 18 Luis RoblesFW 9 Víctor MañónFW 10 Édson Rivera (c)FW 23 Diego MedinaFW 27 David AnguloSubstitutions:GK 35 Bernardo AguilarDF 2 Fernando PonceDF 8 Luis MoralesMF 16 Cristian GonzálezMF 25 Alexis JuárezMF 26 Luis MárquezMF 32 Luis TorresMF 33 Jorge LumbrerasFW 13 Alonso ValadézFW 20 Javier HernándezManager: Paco Ramírez
GK 33 Kefrén AvilésDF 2 César BernalDF 3 Óscar ManzanarezDF 8 Marco RuízDF 13 Carlos RoblesMF 17 José LozanoMF 19 Edson GarcíaMF 6 Aldo LópezMF 7 Daniel LajudFW 9 Nahum GómezFW 11 Antonio López (c)Substitutions:GK 25 Estuardo AzaharDF 4 Luis FloresDF 15 Gabriel VeraMF 16 José HernándezMF 5 Germán EguadeMF 14 Joel PérezMF 23 Jared SimentalFW 26 Manuel LópezFW 10 Giovani HernándezFW 31 Fabián SalasManager: Gerardo Espinoza
Assistant referees: Leonardo Javier Castillo Rodríguez Jéssica Fernanda Morales Morales Fourth official: Martín Molina Astorga
Coefficient table As of the 2020–21 season, the promotion and relegation between Liga MX and Liga de Expansión MX (formerly known as Ascenso MX) was suspended, however, the coefficient table will be used to establish the payment of fines that will be used for the development of the clubs of the silver circuit.
Per Article 24 of the competition regulations, the payment of $MXN3 million from Liga de Expansión clubs will be distributed among the last three positioned in the coefficient table as follows: Last place pays 1.5 million, the penultimate place pays 1 million, and the sixteenth place pays 500 thousand. If any affiliate club or new club from the Liga Premier is ranked in the bottom three at the end of the season, they are exempt from paying any fine and it will not be covered by any other club. Any club that does not pay their corresponding fine, for any reason, will be dissafiliated. The team that finishes last on the table will start the following season with a coefficient of zero. If the last ranked team repeats as the last ranked team in the 2021–22 season coefficient table, they will be fined an additional $MXN1 million.Reglamento de Competencia 2021–2022
TeamFine1Zacatecas32251420232413877+41Safe from paying fine2Atlante30172011282212877+353Sonora2522158282612477+104Atlético Morelia13221913262912277+135TepatitlánSerie A de México23224540000–1Exempt from fine6TapatíoDid not exist21224330+67Celaya 8181213322510877+6Safe from paying fine8Tampico Madero00171223166849+79Oaxaca2219216131910077–810TlaxcalaSerie A de México18193730–11Exempt from fine11Sinaloa222014514199377–9Safe from paying fine12Cancún121513324218877–1313U. de G. 1817151313118777–914UAT (F)1517101613138477–22$MXN500 thousand15Venados (F)92081316168377–31$MXN1 million16Pumas Tabasco (Z)Did not exist14152930–15Exempt from fine Last update: 15 April 2021 Rules for fine payment: 1) Fine coefficient; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results between tied teams; 5) Number of goals scored away; 6) Fair Play points F = Fined. Z = Points reset. Source: Liga de Expansión
Aggregate table