#latest
THE ORIGIN STORY OF CLUB AMERICA
#latest
THE ORIGIN STORY OF CLUB AMERICA
#latest
David Archer
Nov 04, 20
“Club América WAS KNOWN AS Club Unión IN 1919”
CLUB AMERICA
As their nickname, “The Students”, suggested Club América was formed by the consolidation of two colleges - Colegio Mascarones and Colegio Marista de la Perpetua - on October 12, 1916. Many names were considered for the new squad, until one of the team’s players, Pedro "Cheto" Quintanilla, suggested the name "América", since they had formed the team on Columbus Day. They would briefly change their name to Club Unión in 1919, but quickly changed it back the following year. In deciding what colors the team would wear one of the players, Rafael Garza Gutiérrez, found his father’s navy blue pants and yellow shirt.
Everyone agreed that they liked the color combination, and so those were the foundation of the club’s now famous strip, though the cream yellow was adapted to a more modern yellow in the 1980s. Now that the team had a name and primary colors, they had to design a crest. The players came up with a badge that included a map of North and South America, as well as the letters “C” and “A” - the initials of the team.
Club América’s improvement proved rapid. In their first year, the team had to earn their place into the Primera Fuerza, the most elite tier of Mexican football at the time. The fate of their acceptance rested on three must-win games. At the time, the squad were local favorites since they were the only club in Mexico City made up of Mexican-born players, unlike Necaxa, Atlante, Real Club España, Germania, and Asturias. Club América won two games, tied the third, and were accepted into the league. By the time of the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1930 World Cup, most of the Mexican national team squad consisted of players from Club América.