The Mexican First Division, the league with the most televised games in the United States — on Univision, Telemundo, Telefutura, Galavision and TV Azteca — has kicked off the first half of its 2002-2003 split season. The Torneo Apertura (nee Torneo Invierno) sees Club America aiming to become the first repeat champion since the split season was introduced in 1996. The league's 20 teams are divided into four groups of five. All the teams meet each other once and the top two finishers in each group qualify for the quarterfinals. A team that finishes worse than second in its group is eligible for a two-leg playoff (recalificacion) against the lowest top-two finisher in one of the other groups if it has a better overall record than that top-two finisher. A maximum of two teams are eligible for recalificacion.
By Eduardo Rodriguez
Club America
League titles: 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1984, 1985, Prode 1985, 1988, 1989, Verano 2002.
Stadium: Azteca (114,000) in Mexico City.
The defending champion, having won the 2002 Verano crown after going 13 years without a league title, returns with a new coach, Mario Carrillo — Manuel Lapuente stepped down citing doctor's advice — and a lineup that could be even more impressive than last year. Cuauhtemoc Blanco returns to the Aguilas (Eagles) after two frustrating, injury-plagued seasons in Spain. Former national team keeper Adolfo Rios (one of three newcomers from Necaxa) boosts the squad that relies heavily on outside back Pavel Pardo and Chilean forward Ivan Zamorano.
Necaxa
League titles: 1933, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1995, 1996, Invierno 1998.
Stadium: Azteca (114,000) in Mexico City.
Mexico's team of the 1990s, known for its unspectacular but effective style, has been led by Ecuadoran playmaker Alex Aguinaga for more than a decade. Coach Raul Arias has youth (Luis Perez) and experience (Victor Ruiz, from Toluca) in his squad, and a defense bolstered by Cruz Azul transfer Juan Reynoso. As usual, Necaxa, which fell to Club America in last season's final, should contend for the title.
UNAM
League titles: 1977, 1981, 1991.
Stadium: Olimpico Universitario (72,449) in Mexico City.
Pumas, through grit and the motivation of Coach Hugo Sanchez, who's made no secret of his desire to take over the Mexican national team, reached last season's semifinal. UNAM, known for its player development program, is full of young players with an impressive amount of experience. Luis Ignacio ''Gonzo'' Gonzalez leads the team with savvy while Joaquin Beltran marshals the defense Luis Lopez heads the attack.
Santos
League title: Invierno 1996, Verano 2001.
Stadium: Corona (25,500) in Torreon.
One of the modest clubs that began thriving when Mexico introduced the split season in 1996, Santos welcomes a new coach, Sergio Bueno, from Celeya. It has a formidable strike force in Jared ''The Desert Fox'' Borgetti, Chilean Rodrigo ''Pony'' Ruiz and Hector Altamirano, and a standout defender in Paraguayan Deniz Caniza. Veteran Jose ''Tiba'' Damasceno, a Brazilian with Mexican citizenship, arrives from Celeya.
Queretaro
League titles: none.
Stadium: Corregidora (41,070) in Queretaro.
La Piedad moves to Queretaro, which has a First Division team for the first time since 1995. The Gallos Blancos (White Roosters) are coached by Argentine Mario Zanabria and welcomes a slew of new players, including attacker Missael Espinoza, keeper Erubey Cabuto and Richart Baez, the Paraguayan who helped Olimpia win this year's Libertadores Cup.
Toluca
League titles: 1967, 1968, 1975, Verano 1998, Verano 1999.
Stadium: Nemesio Diez (27,000) in Toluca.
Coach Ricardo Lavolpe fields an attack-minded team spearheaded Paraguayan forward Jose Saturino Cardozo and Uruguayan Vicente Sanchez. Eric Espinoza orchestrates the midfield and the defense is strengthened by the arrival UNAM duo Israel Lopez and Cristian Ramirez.
Atlas
League titles: 1951.
Stadium: Jalisco (63,163) in Guadalajara.
The Red & Blacks are hungry for a title after a half-century drought and have reason for hope. Coach Enrique Meza, who guided Toluca to three titles before his ill-fated stint as Mexican national team coach, will rely on the midfield leadership of Juan Pablo Rodriguez and the scoring of Argentine Jose Luis Calderon (last season's third-leading scorer with 13 goals). New are Uruguayan striker Carlos Maria Morales, Chilean midfielder Rodrigo Valenzuela and Gabriel Caballero, the Argentine who naturalized in time to represent Mexico at the World Cup.
Morelia
League title: Invierno 2000
Stadium: Morelos (38,384) in Morelia.
The Monarchs finished sixth in last year's overall standings, although fourth in their group, and earned a wild-card playoff to reach the quarterfinals, where they fell to Pumas. Coach Ruben Omar Romano has a strong attack with Brazilian Alex Fernandez (12 goals last season) and Jose ''Tato'' Noriega (8 goals). Aging Argentine Dario Franco, once a playmaker, sweeps for the Monarchs, who are bolstered by the arrival of Adolfo ''Bofo'' Bautista (Tecos).
Cruz Azul
League titles: 1969, Mexico 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1980, Invierno 1997.
Stadium: Azul (39,000) in Mexico City.
One of Mexico's most popular clubs and a power in the 1970s has struggled since the split season format was introduced, winning only once since 1996, although it was Libertadores runner-up in 2001. It remains one of Mexico's most entertaining teams, and last year was led by the explosive Uruguayan Sebastian ''Loco'' Abreu, who averaged more than a goal per game as he notched 21 in 20 games. After one season in Spain, Francisco Palencia returns to the ''Machine.'' Miguel Zepeda provides forays on the right and Brazilian Julio Cesar Pinheiro on the left. Mariano Medsera arrives from Argentina's Gimnasia y Esgrima.
Tigres
League titles: 1978, 1982.
Stadium: Universitario (43,000) in Nuevo Leon.
Two seasons ago they reached the final. Last season, they fell in a wild-card playoff to Santos. While dominating at home, Tigres had a miserable away record, which will be the focus of Coach Ricardo ''Tuca'' Ferreti. Coach of Guadalajara when it won its last title in 1997, Ferreti is on the short list for the national team job. At Tigres, he depends on Marco Ruiz's playmaking but needs more firepower from forward Jesus Olalde.
Veracruz
Titles: 1947, 1950.
Stadium: Estadio Luis ''Pirata'' Fuente 43,000.
The Red Sharks mustered only 22 goals last year, 11 of which came from Martin Rodriguez. Coach Hugo Fernandez welcomes Argentine Angel Morales and Chilean Pablo Galdames from Cruz Azul.
Guadalajara
League titles: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1987, Verano 1997.
Stadium: Jalisco (63,163) in Guadalajara.
Daniel Guzman, who played three games for the MLS's San Jose Clash in 1997, takes over as coach for Chivas, who of late have done little to satisfy their huge fan base. With a younger team than last year's squad, which missed the playoffs, Mexico's World Cup keeper Oswaldo Sanchez should expect a busy season. Ramon Ramirez, whose stellar career was severely set back by a tragic car accident, returns to Guadalajara from Tigres. Ramon Morales, coming off a strong World Cup for Mexico, is a force in midfield.
Pachuca
League titles: 1905, 1918, Invierno 1999, Invierno 2002.
Stadium: Hidalgo (25,000) in Pachuca.
Mexico's first club, founded at the turn of the century, didn't win a title during the ''professional era,'' which started in 1943, until 1999. Los Tuzos' (Gophers) late rise came under Coach Javier Aguirre, who went on to save Mexico's 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign. Now under Coach Alfredo Tena, they welcome back Cesareo Victorino from Cruz Azul. Colombian Miguel Calero is a solid keeper and lethal Honduran striker Milton Nunez arrives from Italy.
Monterrey
League titles: Mexico 86.
Stadium: Tecnologico (32,500) in Monterrey.
The biggest coaching name to arrive in Mexico this season is new Monterrey boss Daniel Passarella, who captained Argentina to the 1978 World cup title and coached Argentina at the 1998 World Cup. Forward Antonio DeNigris has slumped since setting the league on fire in 2001. Manuel Abundis, who arrives from Atlante, was one of the league's best strikers during his days with Toluca, but he went scoreless in the Torneo Verano. Outside midfielder Jesus ''Cabrito'' Arrellano is Monterrey's greatest talent.
Celeya
League titles: none.
Stadium: Miguel Aleman Valdez (25,500) in Celeya.
After finishing in last place in the Torneo Invierno 2001 and Torneo Verano 2002, Celeya undergoes major reconstruction. Coach Carlos Trucco, Bolivia's Argentine-born keeper at the 1994 World Cup, welcomed 15 new players who transferred from Mexican League rivals. Among them, attackers Brazilian Claudinho (13 goals for La Piedad during the Torneo Verano) and Argentine veteran Antonio Mohamed (Atlante).
Atlante
League titles: 1932, 1941, 1946, 1993.
Stadium: Neza (21,500) in Nezahoalcoyotl.
Los Potros (Colts) have moved from Mexico City to its suburb of Nezahoalcoyotl, where Coach Miguel Herrera's team hopes to gain more fervid fan support. David Rangel, Chilean Fabian Estay and Paraguayan Juan Angel Parades (Atlante's Torneo Verano 2002 leading scorer with 5) provide the leadership for this struggling club.
UAG
League titles: 1994.
Stadium: 3 de Marzo (30,015) in Zapopan.
Los Tecos (Owls), a modest team with meager fan support, welcomes back Brazilian Osmar Donizette, who played on Tecos' only championship team. Peruvian coach Julio Cesar Uribe's hopes lie in a mix of South American talent: Argentine Juan Manuel Azconzabal, who arrives from Estudiantes, Peruvian Roberto Palacios and Chilean Reynaldo Navia.
Puebla
League titles: 1983, 1990.
Stadium: Cuauhtemoc (42,649) in Puebla.
The Camoteros (Candy Makers) are coming off some dismal showings, but have reasons to be optimistic. Colombia defensive midfielder Mauricio Serna arrives from Boca Juniors and Costa Rican Jafet Sosa seems to have shaken his injuries problems. In goal is Jorge Campos.
Real San Luis
League titles: none.
Stadium: Alfonso Lastras (25,000) San Luis Potosi
Club America's sister team — it's also owned by Televisa — won promotion with the Second Division (Primera 1A) title. To help it handle top-flight competition are foreign midfielders Marcelo Faria (Brazil), Jose Enrique Garcia (Uruguay) and Harold Wallace (Costa Rica), who can also play right back. The defense has been bolstered by Jose Milian (Necaxa), Jose Maria Higareda (Puebla) and Eduardo Medina (Atlante).
Jaguares de Chiapas
League titles: none.
Stadium: Victor Manuel Reyna (25,000) in Tuxtla.
When Second Division runner-up Veracruz moved up by beating First Division straggler Leon in a playoff, it gave the Caribbean port city two teams of the same name. The ''new'' Veracruz moved to Tuxtla Gutierrez and was baptized Jaguares de Chiapas, after Mexico's southern-most state, of which Tuxtla Gutierrez is the capital. It boasts a number of experienced players, including: Ecuadoran defender Ivan Hurtado, playmaker Joaquin Del Olmo, Paraguayan forward Julio Cesar Yegros and forward Gustavo Napoles.