Almada Bets Four América Kids Can Fill the Gaps Now

Guillermo Almada has already handed Liga MX minutes to Alejandro Cárdenas and other Club América academy products in the opening weeks of Apertura 2026. The Uruguayan coach is testing whether four named wonderkids can supply depth and identity while bigger transfers stay slow.

Cárdenas, the 19-year-old (now 20) Yucatán striker, entered as a late substitute for Henry Martín in the 1-0 win at Querétaro. That came after preseason call-ups that also included goalkeeper Paolo Bedolla, midfielder Diego Arriaga and forward Adrián Fernández de Lara.

The Four Names Almada Put on the Radar

Almada began evaluating Coapa’s youth ranks right after taking the job. He wants fresh options across the pitch rather than waiting only on the market.

Marioni Araujo and Ricardo González also joined the senior group for a July friendly against LA Galaxy. Almada has said he will judge them in preseason and early league games before finalizing the Apertura roster.

Cárdenas Climbs From Yucatán Trials to the First Team

Alejandro Cárdenas Alonso arrived at América in 2021 after a 15-day trial. He has scored more than 30 goals across the club’s youth sides, five of them with the U-19s in Apertura 2025.

• Born 28 July 2006 in Mérida, Yucatán
• Height 1.89 m, classic centre-forward frame
• Education studying international business alongside football
• Family grandson of Antonio Cárdenas, who led Yucatán sport in the 1990s

The 1.89 m centre-forward born in Mérida earned a first-team friendly appearance before the league debut. Club media interviewed him after the Querétaro match.

Fue un sueño hecho realidad porque al final tanto sacrificio por parte mía y de mi familia al fin da frutos. Cuando me avisaron que yo iba a la pretemporada la verdad estaba muy feliz porque es por lo que he trabajado todos estos años porque cuando yo era niño, era mi sueño.

Cárdenas told América’s channels he felt welcomed from day one by veterans including captain Henry Martín and goalkeeper Luis Cota.

Same State, Different Profile From Henry Martín

Both forwards come from Yucatán and show sharp box instincts. Martín, now 33 and América captain, has scored nearly 100 league goals for América since 2018 and built a career on timing and finishing in tight spaces.

Cárdenas is taller and more of a pure target. The physical contrast is obvious at 1.89 m versus Martín’s roughly 1.77 m. Almada and staff are watching the younger man’s movement and finishing in the same areas where Martín has thrived for years.

The late substitution in La Corregidora carried symbolism. Martín came off, the Yucatán kid came on. Fans on X noted Almada chose Cárdenas ahead of other options such as Zúñiga in the early games.

How Almada Built Teams With Young Players Before

The club officially named Almada head coach on 7 June 2026 after André Jardine’s exit. The announcement highlighted his titles, including the Apertura 2022 title and Concacaf success at Pachuca.

1. 2015-2019 Barcelona SC (Ecuador): league title in 2015-16, proactive style
2. 2019-2021 Santos Laguna: reached the Guardianes 2021 final
3. 2021-2025 Pachuca: Apertura 2022 champion, Concacaf Champions Cup, developed a young dynamic squad
4. 2025-2026 short spells at Valladolid and Oviedo in Spain before the América return

At Pachuca and Santos he regularly promoted academy or low-cost young players who later performed in Liga MX and, in some cases, moved to Europe. América’s cantera has drawn criticism in recent seasons for limited first-team output. Almada’s hire arrived with the expectation he would force more pathway minutes.

What the Early Minutes Mean for the Squad

América opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Querétaro and a draw, sitting near the top of the early table. Signings have been slower than the coach requested. He had asked for four or five reinforcements but the window after the 2026 World Cup has proved complicated.

• First-team veterans keep most starts but face sharper internal competition
• Academy graduates gain real minutes and film that can accelerate loans or sales if they stall
• The sporting director’s transfer budget faces less immediate pressure if kids hold their own
• Henry Martín’s minutes become a managed resource as the season lengthens

Ícaro Da Conceição also debuted from the youth ranks in the same period. Bench options have included other fuerza básica names such as Ricardo González, Diego Arriaga and Andrés Araujo. The pattern is clear: when bodies are short, Almada reaches down rather than wait.

Crowd reaction on X has mixed hope with caution. Some supporters welcome the tall striker and the coach’s history with kids. Others note that América’s academy pipeline has been thin for years and that big-club pressure leaves little room for prolonged experiments.

The Bet Faces Its First Real Test This Month

Preseason friendlies and the opening Liga MX rounds already supplied the first data points. Cárdenas has entered games and linked with service from wide players such as Isaías Violante. Bedolla, Arriaga and Fernández de Lara remain in the wider group awaiting longer looks.

If the four hold their places through August and into the middle of the Apertura, Almada’s wager gains public proof. If results dip and expensive names arrive late, the same kids become the first buffer. Either way the coach has shown he will not treat the academy as decoration.

América still expects titles. The question hanging over Coapa is whether this particular group of teenagers can help deliver them without the usual spending spike.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Alejandro Cárdenas and when did he join América?

Alejandro Cárdenas Alonso is a centre-forward born 28 July 2006 in Mérida, Yucatán. He joined Club América’s academy in 2021 after a short trial and has progressed through the U-19 and U-21 sides while studying international business.

How many goals has Cárdenas scored in the youth ranks?

He has more than 30 goals across América’s various youth categories, including five for the U-19s in the Apertura 2025 tournament before his first-team call-ups.

What is Guillermo Almada’s record with young players?

At Pachuca he built a young, high-pressing side that won the Apertura 2022 Liga MX title and the Concacaf Champions Cup. Similar promotion of academy or low-cost talents occurred during his Santos Laguna spell that reached a league final.

How does Cárdenas compare physically to Henry Martín?

Cárdenas stands 1.89 m and operates as a classic target man. Martín is shorter at approximately 1.77 m and has thrived on movement and finishing; both share Yucatán roots and box instincts but offer different aerial and hold-up profiles.

Which other América academy players has Almada used so far?

Beyond Cárdenas, Ícaro Da Conceição debuted in the same window. Paolo Bedolla, Diego Arriaga, Adrián Fernández de Lara, Marioni Araujo, Ricardo González and others have trained or sat on the bench with the seniors in preseason and early league matches.