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FMF Clears América of Improper Lineup, Fines Club Over Botched Substitution

The decision preserves the first‑leg 3–3 result.

Overview

  • Mexico’s disciplinary commission said América did not commit an improper lineup under Liga MX rules and issued an economic fine for a substitution process error.
  • The case centers on minute 62 during a concussion evaluation for Sebastián Cáceres, when the board first showed Thiago Espinosa for Miguel Vázquez and the change was then authorized as Espinosa for Cáceres according to the referee’s report.
  • Officials relied on the match report and its amendment to rule that the error did not meet alignment-violation definitions in Articles 26 and 52, while Article 51 allows a fine for breaking substitution-window rules.
  • The referees’ commission will review the crew’s role in allowing the adjustment, and any sanctions for the match officials will come from that separate process.
  • The match result stands and the return leg will be played, whereas a confirmed improper lineup in the knockout rounds would have produced a 3–0 administrative win for Pumas and ended América’s run.