The Copa MX 1953/54 was the twelfth edition of the football - cup competition since the introduction of professional football in Mexico . The twelve teams that were represented in the top division in the 1953/54 season were eligible to participate . Cup winners were for the first time under professional conditions and for the second time (after 1937/38) the team of Club America . For the first time it came to a super classic in a cup final because America met its arch-rival Chivas Guadalajara . Both clubs had already reached the cup final twice since the introduction of professional football in 1943, but were always defeated. Because they have not yet won the championship title , it was the first ever title in professional football for the winner of the game (in this case Club America).
The fact that there was a cup final at all was due to the results of the final group, in which the three winners of the preliminary groups each competed once against each other. Both América and Chivas prevailed against the third club Atlante and drew 1: 1 in a direct duel, so that a playoff was required. This ended goalless after 90 minutes, so the game went into overtime . In the second minute of the same, Raúl Arellano gave the Guadalajara side a 1-0 lead, but America equalized with a penalty from José Santiago. Therefore, the cup winner had to be determined as part of a penalty shoot- out. Contrary to what is usual today, only the two supposedly safest penalty takers competed at the time and the penalty shoot-out ended as soon as a team was in the lead after a tie of penalties. After Guadalajaras Juan Jasso was able to convert two of three penalties and failed once, but América's Argentine striker Emilio Fizel put all three penalties in goal, the first professional football title for the capital club was wrapped up.
The tournament was played in the preliminary round with three groups, each consisting of four teams. They had to play against each other in one home and one away game. The respective group winners qualified for the final group, which took place in the Estadio Olímpico Ciudad de los Deportes in Mexico City .
Preliminary round
The preliminary round matches were played between March 20 and April 25, 1954.
