This Tuesday, August 8th, the 132nd edition of the Clásico Regio will take place in Leagues Cup for the first time.
A legend of Mexican football, 'El Matador' Luis Hernández appeared in the Clásico Regio for both teams, and took the time to speak with leaguescup.com to share some memories of the rivalry while also giving us his prediction for the upcoming match.
He first looked back on some of the goals he scored playing for the two Nuevo León clubs "The first goal I scored against Tigres, while playing for Monterrey, was in a Clásico del Caramelo. The ball came to me after several deflections following a corner kick, and I put it past Moriconi in the old Estadio Tecnológico."
He also remembered how he became the first player to score for both teams in the Clásico Regio: "Many years later, playing for Tigres, Ramón Ramirez sent in a cross, and the defender made a mistake by flicking it backwards; I took advantage of that mistake to score. I remember it was a ball close to the post, and that day I became the first player in history to score in the Clásico Regio for both teams."
When asked about his prediction for this Leagues Cup edition of the Clásico Regio, he said, "Obviously, I would prefer Tigres to win. I want Tigres to win, and Tigres will win."
He also added, "I would have loved to keep playing and be part of this Clásico Regio in z. Whether with Rayados or Tigres, what I would have liked most is to represent Mexican football in an international tournament."
He also gave his opinion on the rivalry between LIGA MX and MLS: "I see a good rivalry, but not a classic one, but as the years and matches go by, I believe it will become more important to both leagues."
'El Matador' then spoke about Messi's arrival in MLS: "I believe Messi's arrival opens the door for many Argentine players and fans. The same thing happened in Mexico, with the arrival of some stars -- the fans came, and they never left. That's always a good thing."
Luis Hernández also played for Boca Juniors, where he was known as 'El Pajaro Hernández', and had the opportunity to play with Diego Maradona. We asked him about that experience and how he thinks players at Inter Miami CF feel about playing alongside Messi: "Playing with the best in the world always raises your level of play because being next to him motivates you, and you create memories that last a lifetime."
And to wrap up, he told us who he wants to win Leagues Cup 2023: "I want the mighty Águilas del América to take the title."
