2002–03 Cruz Azul season
Cruz Azul 2002–03 football season
| 2002–03 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Guillermo Álvarez | ||
| Manager | José Luis Trejo (until 13 December) Mario Carrillo (from 25 December until 12 March) Enrique Meza (from 12 March) | ||
| Stadium | Estadio Azul | ||
| Apertura | Quarterfinals (6th) | ||
| Clausura | 11th | ||
| Copa Libertadores | Quarterfinals | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Sebastián Abreu (16 goals) All: Sebastián Abreu (25 goals) | ||
| Biggest win | Cruz Azul 5–1 Veracruz (5 October 2002) | ||
| Biggest defeat | Fénix 6–1 Cruz Azul (5 March 2003) | ||
| |||
← 2001–02 2003–04 → | |||
The 2002–03 season was Cruz Azul's 74th season in existence and their 48th consecutive season in the top flight of Mexican football. The club participated in the Apertura and Clausura tournaments of the Mexican Primera División and in the 2003 Copa Libertadores.
Cruz Azul started the season under José Luis Trejo as manager, but he was sacked at the end of the Apertura tournament; club chairman Guillermo Álvarez cited the "lack of adequate results" as the main reason for firing Trejo.[1] Mario Carrillo was chosen as Trejo's replacement.[2] Trejo had managed to lead Cruz Azul into the playoffs, but were eliminated in quarterfinals by UNAM.[3]
On 12 March 2003, in an unusual situation, chairman Guillermo Álvarez fired Mario Carrillo and the whole squad due to the bad results.[4] Cruz Azul had not won a single match in the first nine rounds and had managed to get only six points; besides, the team had recently suffered a disgraceful 6–1 loss against Uruguayan club Fénix in the Copa Libertadores.[5] After Álvarez terminated the entire first team squad contracts, the players were allowed to return but were given a new contract only for the remaining ten games; this new contract was subject to the team's results during the rest of the season.[6] That same day, Enrique Meza was appointed manager of Cruz Azul.[7]
Despite the mediocre season, Meza managed to lead the team into repechage, a playoff between Guadalajara and Cruz Azul; the winner would qualify to the championship playoffs. Despite winning the first leg 4–1, Cruz Azul lost 1–4 on the second leg and due to Guadalajara finishing ahead of Cruz Azul on the regular phase of the tournament, Cruz Azul was not able to enter the playoffs.[8]
Internationally, Cruz Azul beat the Copa Pre Libertadores and classified to the 2003 Copa Libertadores group stage. Despite losing on its inaugural match against Corinthians 0–1 and the 1–6 loss against Fénix, Cruz Azul advanced to the knockout stage as second best team in the group.[9]
Players
Apertura
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Date of birth (Age) | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK |  | Óscar Pérez | (1973-02-01)1 February 1973 (aged 29) | 1993 |
| 2 | DF | | Melvin Brown | (1989-01-28)28 January 1989 (aged 13) | 1998 |
| 3 | DF | | Norberto Ángeles | (1977-06-06)6 June 1977 (aged 25) | 2000 |
| 4 | MF |  | Cristian Leiva | (1977-09-26)26 September 1977 (aged 24) | 2002 |
| 5 | DF | | Víctor Gutiérrez | (1978-01-27)27 January 1978 (aged 24) | 1999 |
| 6 | MF | | José Alberto Hernández | (1977-01-06)6 January 1977 (aged 25) | 1999 |
| 7 | DF | | Sergio Almaguer | (1969-05-16)16 May 1969 (aged 33) | 2001 |
| 8 | MF | | Tomás Campos | (1975-09-14)14 September 1975 (aged 26) | 2000 |
| 10 | MF | | Mariano Messera | (1978-02-23)23 February 1978 (aged 24) | 2002 |
| 11 | MF | | Julio César Pinheiro | (1976-08-22)22 August 1976 (aged 25) | 2000 |
| 12 | GK | | Emmanuel González | (1972-12-25)25 December 1972 (aged 29) | 2002 |
| 13 | FW |  | Sebastián Abreu | (1976-10-17)17 October 1976 (aged 25) | 2002 |
| 14 | MF | | Marvin Cabrera | (1980-05-01)1 May 1980 (aged 22) | 2000 |
| 15 | FW | | Francisco Palencia (Captain) | (1973-04-28)28 April 1973 (aged 29) | 2002 |
| 16 | MF | | Miguel Gómez Palapa | (1974-09-06)6 September 1974 (aged 27) | 2000 |
| 17 | MF | | Alejandro Corona | (1976-06-26)26 June 1976 (aged 26) | 2000 |
| 18 | MF | | Miguel Zepeda | (1976-05-25)25 May 1976 (aged 26) | 2001 |
| 19 | MF | | Marinho Ledesma | (1977-04-23)23 April 1977 (aged 25) | 2000 |
| 20 | MF | | Flavio Davino | (1974-08-15)15 August 1974 (aged 27) | 2002 |
| 21 | FW | | Juan Carlos Cacho | (1982-05-03)3 May 1982 (aged 20) | 2001 |
| 26 | FW | | Mario Ortiz | (1983-06-04)4 June 1983 (aged 19) | 2000 |
| 29 | DF | | Aarón Galindo | (1982-05-08)8 May 1982 (aged 20) | 2002 |
| 31 | DF | | Ricardo Osorio | (1980-03-30)30 March 1980 (aged 22) | 2001 |
| 35 | DF | | Pablo Campos | (1980-04-23)23 April 1980 (aged 22) | 2002 |
| 45 | MF | | Gerardo Blanco | (1979-06-06)6 June 1979 (aged 23) | 2002 |
Clausura
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Date of birth (Age) | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | | Óscar Pérez | (1973-02-01)1 February 1973 (aged 29) | 1993 |
| 2 | DF | | Melvin Brown | (1989-01-28)28 January 1989 (aged 13) | 1998 |
| 3 | DF | | Norberto Ángeles | (1977-06-06)6 June 1977 (aged 25) | 2000 |
| 4 | DF | | Gilberto Jiménez | (1973-02-04)4 February 1973 (aged 29) | 2003 |
| 5 | DF | | Víctor Gutiérrez | (1978-01-27)27 January 1978 (aged 24) | 1999 |
| 6 | MF | | José Alberto Hernández | (1977-01-06)6 January 1977 (aged 26) | 1999 |
| 7 | DF | | Sergio Almaguer | (1969-05-16)16 May 1969 (aged 33) | 2001 |
| 8 | MF | | Tomás Campos | (1975-09-14)14 September 1975 (aged 27) | 2000 |
| 9 | FW | | Daniel Baldi | (1981-11-23)23 November 1981 (aged 21) | 2003 |
| 11 | MF | | Julio César Pinheiro | (1976-08-22)22 August 1976 (aged 26) | 2000 |
| 12 | GK | | Emmanuel González | (1972-12-25)25 December 1972 (aged 30) | 2002 |
| 13 | FW | | Sebastián Abreu | (1976-10-17)17 October 1976 (aged 26) | 2002 |
| 14 | MF | | Marvin Cabrera | (1980-05-01)1 May 1980 (aged 22) | 2000 |
| 15 | FW | | Francisco Palencia (Captain) | (1973-04-28)28 April 1973 (aged 29) | 2002 |
| 16 | MF | | Miguel Gómez Palapa | (1974-09-06)6 September 1974 (aged 28) | 2000 |
| 17 | MF | | Alejandro Corona | (1976-06-26)26 June 1976 (aged 26) | 2000 |
| 18 | MF | | Miguel Zepeda | (1976-05-25)25 May 1976 (aged 26) | 2001 |
| 19 | MF | | Marinho Ledesma | (1977-04-23)23 April 1977 (aged 25) | 2000 |
| 20 | MF | | Flavio Davino | (1974-08-15)15 August 1974 (aged 28) | 2002 |
| 21 | FW | | Juan Carlos Cacho | (1982-05-03)3 May 1982 (aged 20) | 2001 |
| 22 | MF |  | Pablo Galdames | (1974-06-26)26 June 1974 (aged 28) | 2003 |
| 26 | FW | | Mario Ortiz | (1983-06-04)4 June 1983 (aged 19) | 2000 |
| 28 | MF | | Alan Guadarrama | (1975-09-22)22 September 1975 (aged 27) | 2002 |
| 29 | DF | | Aarón Galindo | (1982-05-08)8 May 1982 (aged 20) | 2002 |
| 30 | DF | | Adrián Cortés | (1983-11-19)19 November 1983 (aged 19) | 2003 |
| 31 | DF | | Ricardo Osorio | (1980-03-30)30 March 1980 (aged 22) | 2001 |
| 35 | DF | | Pablo Campos | (1980-04-23)23 April 1980 (aged 22) | 2002 |
| 45 | MF | | Gerardo Blanco | (1979-06-06)6 June 1979 (aged 23) | 2002 |
Transfers
In
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Moving from | Type | Transfer window | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | GK | | Emmanuel González | Celaya | Transfer | Summer | |
| 15 | FW | | Francisco Palencia |  Espanyol | Loan return | Summer | |
| 20 | MF | | Flavio Davino | Morelia | Transfer | Summer | [10] |
| 29 | DF | | Aarón Galindo | Academy | Promotion | Summer | |
| 4 | DF | | Gilberto Jiménez | Puebla | Loan | Winter | |
| 9 | FW | | Daniel Baldi | Plaza Colonia | Loan | Winter | [11] |
| 22 | MF | | Pablo Galdames | Veracruz | Loan return | Winter | [12] |
| 30 | DF | | Adrián Cortés | Academy | Promotion | Winter | |
| 7 | MF |  | Andrés Chitiva[A] | Pachuca | Loan | Special | [13] |
Out
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Moving to | Type | Transfer window | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | MF | | Cesáreo Victorino | Pachuca | Loan | Summer | [14] |
| 4 | MF | | Cristian Leiva | Gimnasia y Esgrima | Transfer | Winter | |
| 10 | MF | | Mariano Messera | Rosario Central | Transfer | Winter |
Competitions
Overview
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Apertura | 3 August 2002 | 8 December 2002 | Matchday 1 | Quarterfinals (6th) | 21 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 32 | 29 | +3 | 033.33 |
| Clausura | 12 January 2003 | 25 May 2003 | Matchday 1 | 11th | 21 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 29 | 29 | +0 | 028.57 |
| Copa Libertadores | 29 October 2002 | 28 May 2003 | Pre Libertadores | Quarterfinals | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 21 | +4 | 037.50 |
| Total | 58 | 19 | 22 | 17 | 86 | 79 | +7 | 032.76 | ||||
Source: Mediotiempo.com
Torneo Apertura
League table
| Pos | Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Morelia | 19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 35 | 23 | +12 | 32 | Directly qualified to the Liguilla (Playoffs) |
| 5 | UAG | 19 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 29 | −3 | 29 | |
| 6 | Cruz Azul | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 30 | 26 | +4 | 28 | |
| 7 | Guadalajara | 19 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 28 | 29 | −1 | 27 | |
| 8 | Santos Laguna | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 30 | 28 | +2 | 26 |
Source: MedioTiempo
Matches
Cruz Azul v UAG
| 3 August 2002 1 | Cruz Azul | 1–2 | UAG | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 16:05 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Gilberto Alcalá |
UANL v Cruz Azul
| 15 August 2002 2 | UANL | 0–1 | Cruz Azul | San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León |
| 21:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Universitario Referee: Antonio Marrufo |
Guadalajara v Cruz Azul
| 25 August 2002 4 | Guadalajara | 1–1 | Cruz Azul | Guadalajara, Jalisco |
| 12:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Jalisco Referee: José de Jesús Robles |
Cruz Azul v San Luis
| 31 August 2002 5 | Cruz Azul | 0–1 | San Luis | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Armando Archundia |
Santos Laguna v Cruz Azul
| 8 September 2002 6 | Santos Laguna | 1–3 | Cruz Azul | Torreón, Coahuila |
| 16:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Corona Referee: José de Jesús Robles |
Cruz Azul v Necaxa
| 12 September 2002 7 | Cruz Azul | 2–1 | Necaxa | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 20:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: José Abramo Lira |
Atlante v Cruz Azul
| 15 September 2002 8 | Atlante | 2–0 | Cruz Azul | Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, State of Mexico |
| 12:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Neza 86 Referee: Felipe Ramos Rizo |
Cruz Azul v Morelia
| 21 September 2002 9 | Cruz Azul | 1–3 | Morelia | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Hugo León Guajardo |
UNAM v Cruz Azul
| 29 September 2002 10 | UNAM | 2–2 | Cruz Azul | Coyoacán, Mexico City |
| 12:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Universitario Referee: Armando Archundia |
Cruz Azul v Veracruz
| 5 October 2002 11 | Cruz Azul | 5–1 | Veracruz | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Marco Antonio Rodríguez |
Monterrey v Cruz Azul
| 12 October 2002 12 | Monterrey | 1–1 | Cruz Azul | Monterrey, Nuevo León |
| 17:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Tecnológico Referee: Gilberto Alcalá |
Cruz Azul v Toluca
| 16 October 2002 13 | Cruz Azul | 1–1 | Toluca | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Jorge Eduardo Gasso |
Atlas v Cruz Azul
| 19 October 2002 14 | Atlas | 3–2 | Cruz Azul | Guadalajara, Jalisco |
| 20:45 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Jalisco Referee: Felipe Ramos Rizo |
Cruz Azul v Pachuca
| 23 October 2002 3 | Cruz Azul | 3–2 | Pachuca | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: José de Jesús Robles |
Cruz Azul v Querétaro
| 26 October 2002 15 | Cruz Azul | 1–1 | Querétaro | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 15:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Germán Arredondo |
Puebla v Cruz Azul
| 3 November 2002 16 | Puebla | 1–2 | Cruz Azul | Puebla City, Puebla |
| 14:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Cuauhtémoc Referee: Sergio Silva |
Cruz Azul v América
| 9 November 2002 17 | Cruz Azul | 1–1 | América | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: José de Jesús Robles |
Chiapas v Cruz Azul
| 17 November 2002 18 | Chiapas | 1–2 | Cruz Azul | Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas |
| 12:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Víctor Manuel Reyna Referee: Paul Delgadillo |
Cruz Azul v Celaya
| 24 November 2002 19 | Cruz Azul | 1–1 | Celaya | Jasso, Hidalgo |
| 16:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio 10 de Diciembre Referee: Antonio Marrufo |
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
Cruz Azul v UNAM
| 4 December 2002 First leg | Cruz Azul | 0–0 | UNAM | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 18:00 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Eduardo Brizio |
UNAM v Cruz Azul
| 8 December 2002 Second leg | UNAM | 3–2 (3–2 agg.) | Cruz Azul | Coyoacán, Mexico City |
| 12:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Universitario Referee: Felipe Ramos Rizo |
Torneo Clausura
League table
| Pos | Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Santos Laguna | 19 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 30 | 24 | +6 | 30 | |
| 10 | América | 19 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 29 | 20 | +9 | 29 | |
| 11 | Cruz Azul | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 24 | Qualified for the Repechage |
| 12 | Necaxa | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 24 | +1 | 23 | |
| 13 | Cuernavaca | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 27 | −3 | 23 |
Source: MedioTiempo
Matches
UAG v Cruz Azul
| 12 January 2003 1 | UAG | 0–0 | Cruz Azul | Zapopan, Jalisco |
| 16:00 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Tres de Marzo Referee: Hugo León Guajardo |
Cruz Azul v UANL
| 18 January 2003 2 | Cruz Azul | 1–3 | UANL | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Armando Archundia |
Pachuca v Cruz Azul
| 26 January 2003 3 | Pachuca | 0–0 | Cruz Azul | Pachuca, Hidalgo |
| 12:00 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Hidalgo Referee: Marco Antonio Rodríguez |
Cruz Azul v Guadalajara
| 1 February 2003 4 | Cruz Azul | 3–3 | Guadalajara | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Felipe Ramos Rizo |
San Luis v Cruz Azul
| 9 February 2003 5 | San Luis | 2–2 | Cruz Azul | Pachuca, Hidalgo |
| 19:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Hidalgo Referee: Marco Antonio Cuevas |
Cruz Azul v Santos Laguna
| 15 February 2003 6 | Cruz Azul | 2–2 | Santos Laguna | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Sergio Silva |
Necaxa v Cruz Azul
| 23 February 2003 7 | Necaxa | 4–0 | Cruz Azul | Tlalpan, Mexico City |
| 16:00 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Azteca Referee: José Gabriel Romero |
Cruz Azul v Atlante
| 1 March 2003 8 | Cruz Azul | 1–3 | Atlante | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Mauricio Morales |
Morelia v Cruz Azul
| 8 March 2003 9 | Morelia | 1–1 | Cruz Azul | Morelia, Michoacán |
| 17:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Morelos Referee: Gilberto Alcalá |
Cruz Azul v UNAM
| 16 March 2003 10 | Cruz Azul | 2–0 | UNAM | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 12:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Hugo León Guajardo |
Veracruz v Cruz Azul
| 22 March 2003 11 | Veracruz | 2–0 | Cruz Azul | Boca del Río, Veracruz |
| 15:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Luis "Pirata" Fuente Referee: Marco Antonio Rodríguez |
Cruz Azul v Monterrey
| 29 March 2003 12 | Cruz Azul | 0–0 | Monterrey | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Manuel Glower |
Toluca v Cruz Azul
| 6 April 2003 13 | Toluca | 1–3 | Cruz Azul | Toluca, State of Mexico |
| 12:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Nemesio Díez Referee: Gilberto Alcalá |
Cruz Azul v Atlas
| 12 April 2003 14 | Cruz Azul | 1–1 | Atlas | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: José Abramo Lira |
Querétaro v Cruz Azul
| 20 April 2003 15 | Querétaro | 0–1 | Cruz Azul | Querétaro City, Querétaro |
| 12:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Corregidora Referee: Francisco Javier Caspeta |
Cruz Azul v Puebla
| 26 April 2003 16 | Cruz Azul | 4–0 | Puebla | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Gilberto Alcalá |
América v Cruz Azul
| 4 May 2003 17 | América | 1–3 | Cruz Azul | Tlalpan, Mexico City |
| 16:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Azteca Referee: Marco Antonio Rodríguez |
Cruz Azul v Chiapas
| 10 May 2003 18 | Cruz Azul | 0–1 | Chiapas | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 17:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Felipe Ramos Rizo |
Cuernavaca v Cruz Azul
| 17 May 2003 19 | Cuernavaca | 0–0 | Cruz Azul | Xochitepec, Morelos |
| 17:00 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Mariano Matamoros Referee: José Abramo Lira |
Repechage
Cruz Azul v Guadalajara
| 22 May 2003 First leg | Cruz Azul | 4–1 | Guadalajara | Benito Juárez, Mexico City |
| 20:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Marco Antonio Rodríguez |
Guadalajara v Cruz Azul
| 25 May 2003 Second leg | Guadalajara | 4–1 (5–5 [B] agg.) | Cruz Azul | Guadalajara, Jalisco |
| 12:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Jalisco Referee: José Abramo Lira |
Copa Libertadores
Pre Pre Liberators 2002
The Pre Pre Libertadores 2002 is the last edition of the tournament which distributes the two tickets to the Mexican teams for the 2003 Copa Libertadores. The tournament was won by Club Universidad Nacional by obtaining the first place of group with 6 points and thus obtained the place of Mexico 1, while cruz Azul achieved second place with 6 points by goal difference with which they managed to qualify as Mexico 2 to the Pre-Libertadores 2003 against Venezuelan clubs for two places to the Copa Libertadores 2003.
Group A
|
More info on the games is here:Games
Second round
|
More info on the games is here:Games
Pre Libertadores
From 1998 to 2002, Mexican and Venezuelan clubs played a mini tournament known as Copa Pre Libertadores to determine two teams that would qualify to the next year's Copa Libertadores group stage. In 2002 UNAM participated in the Pre Libertadores trying to earn a spot in the 2003 edition of the tournament.[15]
| Pos | Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UNAM | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 13 | Advance to group stage |
| 2 | Cruz Azul | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 11 | |
| 3 |  Estudiantes de Mérida | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 7 | |
| 4 | Nacional Táchira | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 16 | −10 | 3 |
Source: CONMEBOL
Estudiantes de Mérida 
v 
Cruz Azul
v Cruz Azul | 29 October 2002 1 | Estudiantes de Mérida | 1–1 | Cruz Azul | Mérida, Venezuela |
| 16:00 |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Guillermo Soto Rosa Referee: Mauricio Reinoso (Ecuador) |
Nacional Táchira v Cruz Azul
v Cruz Azul | 31 October 2002 2 | Nacional Táchira | 2–3 | Cruz Azul | Mérida, Venezuela |
| 16:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Guillermo Soto Rosa Referee: Pedro Ramos (Ecuador) |
UNAM v Cruz Azul
v Cruz Azul | 6 November 2002 3 | UNAM | 1–1 | Cruz Azul | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Universitario Referee: Gilberto Alcalá (Mexico) |
Cruz Azul v Estudiantes de Mérida
v Estudiantes de Mérida | 14 November 2002 4 | Cruz Azul | 2–1 | Estudiantes de Mérida | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 16:00 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Felipe Russi (Colombia) |
Cruz Azul v Nacional Táchira
v Nacional Táchira | 21 November 2002 5 | Cruz Azul | 4–0 | Nacional Táchira | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 16:00 |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Carlos Chandía (Chile) |
Cruz Azul v UNAM
v UNAM | 28 November 2002 6 | Cruz Azul | 0–2 | UNAM | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Felipe Ramos Rizo (Mexico) |
Group stage
| Pos | Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Corinthians | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 15 |
| 2 | Cruz Azul | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 9 |
| 3 | Fénix | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 14 | −4 | 6 |
| 4 |  The Strongest | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 6 |
Source: [citation needed]
Corinthians 
v Cruz Azul
v Cruz Azul | 5 February 2003 1 | Corinthians | 1–0 | Cruz Azul | São Paulo, Brazil |
| 21:40 |
| Report | Stadium: Pacaembu Stadium Referee: Horacio Elizondo (Argentina) |
Cruz Azul v 
The Strongest
v The Strongest | 18 February 2003 2 | Cruz Azul | 3–2 | The Strongest | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 20:30 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Eduardo Lecca (Peru) |
Fénix 
v Cruz Azul
v Cruz Azul | 5 March 2003 3 | Fénix | 6–1 | Cruz Azul | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| 18:05 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Luis Franzini Attendance: 5,500 Referee: Gabriel Brazenas (Argentina) |
Cruz Azul v Corinthians
v Corinthians | 26 March 2003 4 | Cruz Azul | 3–0 | Corinthians | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 18:40 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Gilberto Hidalgo (Peru) |
The Strongest v Cruz Azul
v Cruz Azul | 3 April 2003 5 | The Strongest | 2–1 | Cruz Azul | La Paz, Bolivia |
| 17:05 | Report |
| Stadium: Estadio Hernando Siles Referee: Guido Aros (Chile) |
Cruz Azul v Fénix
v Fénix | 8 April 2003 6 | Cruz Azul | 4–0 | Fénix | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 21:30 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Daniel Giménez (Argentina) |
Knockout phase
Round of 16
Cruz Azul v 
Deportivo Cali
v Deportivo Cali | 6 May 2003 First leg | Cruz Azul | 0–0 | Deportivo Cali | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 20:40 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Azul Referee: Epifanio González (Paraguay) |
Deportivo Cali v Cruz Azul
v Cruz Azul | 13 May 2003 Second leg | Deportivo Cali | 0–0 (0–0 agg.) (2–3 p) | Cruz Azul | Cali, Colombia |
| 20:40 | Report | Stadium: Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero Referee: Gilberto Hidalgo (Peru) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| ||||
Quarterfinals
Cruz Azul v Santos
v Santos | 21 May 2003 First leg | Cruz Azul | 2–2 | Santos | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 19:40 |
|
| Stadium: Estadio Azteca Referee: Óscar Ruiz (Colombia) |
Santos v Cruz Azul
v Cruz Azul | 28 May 2003 Second leg | Santos | 1–0 (3–2 agg.) | Cruz Azul | Santos, Brazil |
| 20:40 |
| Report | Stadium: Estádio Urbano Caldeira Referee: Epifanio González (Paraguay) |
Statistics
Appearances and goals
| No. | Pos. | Player | Total | Apertura | Clausura | Copa Libertadores (including pre libertadores) | Pre Pre Libertadores | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 1 | GK | Óscar Pérez | 50 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 11 | 0 | - | - |
| 2 | DF | Melvin Brown | 51 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 0 | - | - |
| 3 | DF | Norberto Ángeles | 29 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | - |
| 4 | DF | Gilberto Jiménez | 25 | 1 | – | – | 16 | 0 | 9 | 1 | - | - |
| 5 | DF | Víctor Gutiérrez | 50 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 14 | 1 | - | - |
| 6 | MF | José Alberto Hernández | 40 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 0 | - | - |
| 7 | DF | Sergio Almaguer | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - |
| 7 | MF | Andrés Chitiva[A] | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 4 | 0 | - | - |
| 8 | MF | Tomás Campos | 50 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 1 | - | - |
| 9 | FW | Daniel Baldi | 8 | 1 | – | – | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
| 11 | MF | Julio César Pinheiro | 29 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2 | - | - |
| 12 | GK | Emmanuel González | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | - |
| 13 | FW | Sebastián Abreu | 32 | 25 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| 14 | MF | Marvin Cabrera | 24 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 0 | - | - |
| 15 | FW | Francisco Palencia | 47 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 17 | 4 | 14 | 4 | - | - |
| 16 | MF | Miguel Gómez Palapa | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - |
| 17 | MF | Alejandro Corona | 20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 0 | - | - |
| 18 | MF | Miguel Zepeda | 40 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 3 | - | - |
| 19 | MF | Marinho Ledesma | 30 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
| 20 | MF | Flavio Davino | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 0 | - | - |
| 21 | FW | Juan Carlos Cacho | 39 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 2 | - | - |
| 22 | MF | Pablo Galdames | 11 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - |
| 26 | FW | Mario Ortiz | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | - | - |
| 28 | MF | Alan Guadarrama | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| 29 | DF | Aarón Galindo | 37 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | - |
| 30 | DF | Adrián Cortés | 3 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| 31 | DF | Ricardo Osorio | 46 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 0 | - | - |
| 35 | DF | Pablo Campos | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - |
| 37 | FW | Luis Alberto Orozco | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| 45 | MF | Gerardo Blanco | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - |
| 48 | FW | Iván Moreno [es] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
| Players that left the club during the season | ||||||||||||
| 4 | MF | Cristian Leiva | 22 | 0 | 18 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 0 | - | - |
| 10 | MF | Mariano Messera | 22 | 2 | 16 | 1 | – | – | 6 | 1 | - | - |
Goalscorers
| Rank | Pos. | Player | Apertura | Clausura | Copa Libertadores (including pre libertadores) | Pre Pre Libertadores | Total[16][17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | Sebastián Abreu | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 25 |
| 2 | FW | Juan Carlos Cacho | 6 | 10 | 2 | - | 18 |
| 3 | FW | Francisco Palencia | 3 | 4 | 4 | - | 11 |
| 4 | MF | Miguel Zepeda | 5 | 1 | 3 | - | 9 |
| 5 | MF | Julio César Pinheiro | 3 | 0 | 2 | - | 5 |
| 6 | MF | Alejandro Corona | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 3 |
| 7 | MF | Marvin Cabrera | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 |
| DF | Víctor Gutiérrez | 1 | 0 | - | - | ||
| MF | Mariano Messera | 1 | – | - | - | ||
| FW | Mario Ortiz | 0 | 1 | - | - | ||
| 11 | DF | Sergio Almaguer | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 |
| FW | Daniel Baldi | – | 0 | 1 | |||
| DF | Melvin Brown | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| MF | Tomás Campos | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| MF | Flavio Davino | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| MF | José Alberto Hernández | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| DF | Gilberto Jiménez | – | 0 | 1 | |||
| MF | Marinho Ledesma | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Own goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | ||
| Total | 32 | 29 | 25 | 2+ | 88+ | ||
Hat-tricks
| Player | Against | Result | Date | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastián Abreu | Nacional Táchira | 4–0 (H) | 21 November 2002 | Copa Libertadores | [18] |
| Sebastián Abreu | Guadalajara | 3–3 (H) | 1 February 2003 | Primera División | [19] |
Own goals
| Player | Against | Result | Date | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pablo Campos | UNAM | 1–1 (A) | 6 November 2002 | Copa Libertadores |
| Melvin Brown | UNAM | 2–3 (A) | 8 December 2002 | Primera División |
| Pablo Galdames | UANL | 1–3 (H) | 18 January 2003 | Primera División |
| Norberto Ángeles | Atlante | 1–3 (H) | 1 March 2003 | Primera División |
Notes
- A. ^ Andrés Chitiva was loaned to Cruz Azul to participate in the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores.
- B. ^ Guadalajara finished the regular phase of the tournament ahead of Cruz Azul; therefore, Guadalajara advances to the playoffs.
References
- ^ "Confirma directiva salida de Trejo del Cruz Azul". El Universal (in Spanish). EFE. 13 December 2003. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Mario Carrillo nuevo entrenador del Cruz Azul". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). EFE. 25 December 2003. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Pumas aprovechó errores y está en semifinales". ESPN.com.mx (in Spanish). 12 June 2003. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ Sandoval, Daniel (1 June 2018). "El día que Cruz Azul decidió despedir a toda su plantilla". AS.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ Cedillo Cano, Alejandro (6 March 2003). "Cruz Azul pierde hasta la vergüenza en Montevideo". Crónica (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ Esquivel, Antonio; Velázquez, Alejandro (12 March 2003). "El Cruz Azul despide a Carrillo y a los 22 jugadores; recontratarían a la plantilla sólo para 10 partidos". Crónica (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Enrique Meza tomará cargo del Cruz Azul". ESPN.com.mx (in Spanish). Notimex. 12 March 2003. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Chivas logró remontar". ESPN.com.mx (in Spanish). 25 May 2003. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ Esquivel Bernal, Antonio (6 February 2003). "Cruz Azul se destiñe ante Corinthians". Crónica (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Firma Falvio Davino por un año con Cruz Azul". El Universal (in Spanish). 22 July 2002. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ Ortiz Velázquez, Francisco (22 February 2003). "Daniel Baldi, un futbolista de novela y cuento". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ "Galdames, feliz por regresar a Cruz Azul". Emol.com (in Spanish). EFE. 10 January 2003. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ Esquivel Bernal, Antonio (30 April 2003). "Chitiva es el primer refuerzo de Cruz Azul". Crónica (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ Velázquez Cervantes, Alejandro (10 July 2002). "Le falta un ojo, pero busca hueco en algún equipo". Crónica (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ Minniti, Javier. "Historia de la Pre-Libertadores" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 December 2004. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
- ^ "Cruz Azul - Apertura 2002". Mediotiempo.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "Cruz Azul - Clausura 2003". Mediotiempo.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "Cruz Azul 4–0 Nacional Táchira". Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Cruz Azul 3–3 Guadalajara". Liga MX. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
