The 2018 Liga MX final is all set between the Apertura tournament’s best clubs, Cruz Azul and Club América. It’s a rematch of the infamous 2013 final where the long-snakebitten Cruz Azul blew a late lead and turned América head man Miguel Herrera into a household meme thanks to his jubilant celebrations. Cruz Azul hasn’t been back to the title game ever since, but this week Mexican legend and longtime keeper Jesus Corona finally has a shot at revenge. Watch the Liga MX final and live stream between Club América and Cruz Azul because, frankly, any American soccer fan worth their hipster scarf knows to crack open a Modelo when it’s time for la gran final—and this Mexico City derby will be no different.
Cruz Azul vs. América
- When: Thursday, 9:30pm ET (first leg); 7:30pm ET, Sunday, Dec. 16 (second leg)
- Where: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
- Watch: Univision
Cruz Azul vs. América live stream: How to watch online for free
Univision, UniMás, and Univision Deportes may be hard to find if you have Dish Network, as contract negotiations between Dish and Univision came to an impasse in July 2018, which also led the channels to be cut from the Dish-owned Sling TV. But there are other options for streaming América vs. Pumas online, and they come with generous free trials.
1) FuboTV
- Cost: $39.99 for your first month and $44.99 per month thereafter (with a seven-day free trial)
- Devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
FuboTV is one of the leading live TV streaming services, offering a compelling combination of sports (NBA TV, NFL Network), entertainment (AMC, Syfy, FX), and news (MSNBC, CNN) channels in its core package. But where it really shines is with international soccer, offering UniMas, 10 beIN Sports channels, NBCSN, FS1 and FS2, and more, so you can watch everything from English Premier League to La Liga all in one place. You’ll also get three-day replay for games and 30 hours of cloud DVR. (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
2) Univision Now
- Cost: $7.99 | Free with FuboTV or DirecTV Now
- Devices: Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Andoird and iOS devices
If you select either of the two options above, you can watch América vs. Pumas on Univision Now, the channel’s standalone app. Another option: You can pay $7.99 per month to live stream both Univision and UniMás live. If that’s all you really care about, it’s a solid deal.
3) DirecTV Now
- Cost: $40-$75 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, and Amazon Fire Stick
DirecTV Now, the online alternative to DirecTV, offers five different channel packages. While the entry-level Live a Little package ($40 per month) covers most of your bases, for international soccer, you’ll want to get the Todo y Mas (“Everything and More”) for $45 per month. This package is geared toward Spanish-speaking viewers, with channels like Univision, ESPN Deportes, Telemundo, and CNN En Español. It’s the only DirecTV Now option that includes beIN Sports, which you’ll need for La Liga matches. (You can view the full DirecTV Now channels list here.)
Cruz Azul vs. América: Why it matters
For Cruz Azul, the defense is priority one and a controlled, suffocating back line led La Maquina to the league’s best regular season record and the top seed in the playoffs. But Herrera’s América is in the best form of the season, blowing out Pumas in the semifinals with a six-goal drubbing in leg No. 2 on Sunday after a 1-1 tie to start the semifinal matchup. The club led the league in scoring, and teen phenom Diego Lainez is dragging defenders all over the wings and setting up veteran striker Oribe Peralta for single-coverage, flick-in goals. Given the history of bad vibes for Cruz Azul in big games—the club hasn’t won Liga MX since the ’90s—expect América to win this two-game series convincingly.
New to cord-cutting? Here are our picks for the best movie streaming sites of 2018 and free live TV apps and channels. If you’re looking for a specific channel, here’s how to watch HBO, Showtime, Starz, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, AMC, FX, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, FS1, TBS, TNT, Golf Channel, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Bravo, Lifetime, Discovery, PBS, the CW, BBC, CSPAN, NBA TV, MTV, the Weather Channel, and NFL RedZone without cable, as well as free movies on YouTube. If you’re on the move, here’s how to watch Fox Sports Goand live stream NBC Sports.
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