No Fans, No Problem: Club América’s Clean Sheet vs Pachuca & DC United Preview Feat. United Weekly
The Eagle Eye Podcast returns with Ivan Pineda and Dylan Jimenez unpacking a strange weekend in Mexico City. Twenty-four hours before kickoff, Club América learned they would be playing behind closed doors after a city dispute. The empty stands didn’t rattle the team. América beat a strong Tuzos side 2–0, banked a clean sheet, and stretched their unbeaten league start. We also welcomed Santiago and Olsen from the United Weekly Podcast to look ahead to Saturday’s friendly at Audi Field against DC United, what it means, how to watch, and where both clubs are trying to go.
The 24-Hour Closure: Politics, Permits, and an Empty Stadium
The news broke on the eve of the match: Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes would be shut for the Pachuca game. The Benito Juárez mayor’s office said the closure was tied to traffic closures and security personnel blocking access into neighborhoods from a recent América Femenil match played on Thursday before the game against Pachuca. América countered that city police, not club security, controlled the streets and that the team had complied with the rules. The league publicly backed América’s posture and the club hinted at legal action to protect a game that was already 80% sold.
The clock ran out. The gates stayed locked. Supporters who had planned a marquee night, some flying in from the U.S. for Allan Saint-Maximin’s first home minutes, were left with refunds and frustration. Inside, the silence felt like 2020 again. Outside, it was a reminder that América’s temporary home brings baggage the team can’t fully control.
A Professional Win: Early Control, Real Chances, and the Clean Sheet
With the noise stripped away, the football had to speak. América set the tone in the first 20 minutes: tidy in possession, confident when stepping into midfield, and eager to score first. Igor Lichnovsky delivered the breakthrough, a timely statement on a night when the center-back rotation had been a talking point. Pachuca answered with their own bite. Tuzos created pressure phases that would have punished a looser team. América held firm. The back line managed the box better than it did in August, and the midfield didn’t panic when Tuzos raised the tempo.
The second act was about control. When the match tilted, América didn’t chase it. They compressed the center, forced Pachuca wide, and kept transitions clean. The 2–0 felt earned—not because Pachuca lacked quality, but because América finally married composure with intensity for ninety minutes.
“I’m going to ride this until it’s over — we’re still undefeated in the league.” — Dylan Jiménez
Allan Saint-Maximin: Impact in 30 Minutes (Again)
Saint-Maximin didn’t need a long runway. He came on, asked for the ball, and continued to show his capabilities on the ball. It took only 11 minutes into the game for him to hit a skipping drive from about thirty yards with his weaker foot on a counter after beating the Pachuca keeper. It wasn’t a circus trick. It was timing, technique, and conviction. More than the goal, his entrances are changing the temperature: teammates play quicker off him, fullbacks step higher, and the stadium even empty, feels like it leans forward when he checks in.
The staff is clearly managing his ramp-up. Two short cameos, two goals, and the work rate you want from a headliner who is still calibrating to altitude and rhythm.
“If this is the Maxi we’re getting at 30 minutes a game, imagine him at 60.” — Ivan Pineda
What Carries Forward
This wasn’t a blowout. It didn’t need to be. América needed a calm, string performance after a turbulent month, and they delivered it against a top-table opponent. The clean sheet matters. So does the way the team handled Pachuca’s best moments. The unresolved items are familiar: depth on the right when Zendejas is away, and a path to more youth minutes without breaking the match plan. A friendly in the international break is the right place to test both.
DC United Preview: What Each Side Wants in Washington
To close the show, Santiago and Olsen from United Weekly sketched DCU’s moment. The club has a new coach (René Weiler), a long stretch without wins behind them, and a recent uptick. Under Weiler the shape has settled into a 4-3-3 with a stronger press and a mandate to be braver with the ball. Some first-teamers should feature, but this is also an audition for younger and fringe players who need to prove they fit the new system.
For América, the agenda is different. This is a live-fire rehearsal to protect momentum and to build Maxi’s minutes toward a starting role. Expect a measured starting XI, minutes for players who need sharpness, and a look at Violante or a youngster wide when Zendejas is out. If DC sit in a low block, as they often have, América will need patience, quick switches, and runners into the half spaces rather than forcing traffic through the middle.
Kickoff: Saturday, 6:30 PM ET (5:30 CT / 3:30 PT) at Audi Field
Watch: TUDN and ViX
Scorelines from the pod: Olsen picked América 2–1 (“closer than people think”); Santiago said DCU 2–1 if more starters play, otherwise 3–1 América; Dylan went 3–1 América; Ivan repeated last week’s bet: 2–0 América with another Maxi contribution.
Conclusion
The weekend could have unraveled before the whistle. It didn’t. América handled the politics, took care of Pachuca, and added another Saint-Maximin memory to an already fast-building highlight reel. Washington is next—less about the result than the reps. If the group keeps stacking composed performances around a rising star, September will feel very different from July.
Stay Connected
Follow us on Twitter/X for live updates, clips, and instant post-match thoughts.
Subscribe to The Eagle Eye Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Join our newsletter for weekly América roundups: analysis, previews, and episode drops.
Guests this episode: United Weekly — find them on Instagram at @unitedweekly and @dcunitedlatest.