Estadio Azteca

Mexico earthquake forces postponement of Liga MX Jornada 10

The 10th round of the Liga MX Apertura has been postponed as Mexico continues to recover from an earthquake that rocked central Mexico.

"The Liga Bancomer MX, along with all competitions in the category like Under-20, Under-17 and Under-15, are suspending activity this weekend," a league statement released Wednesday afternoon read. "We're inviting all our fans to participate and help at different collection centers in support of those affected by the earthquake September 19."

Liga MX Femenil, the women's league, and the second-division Ascenso MX also are postponing their slates of games.

All three leagues' matches have been rescheduled for Oct. 24 and 25.

The league already had decided to postpone all of this week's Copa MX matches, which were set to take place Tuesday and Wednesday, after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck in the state of Puebla. Those matches will be played Oct. 24 and 25 with the quarterfinals pushed back to Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 and the semifinals taking place during the November international break.

Stadiums across the country are being used as collection centers for donations with all the league's teams using their community influence to help their fans funnel donations to those affected. 

"All the clubs are doing their small part. We'd like to bring the people a moment of happiness in this tough time, but it's a more complex decision than that and it's necessary to have all the information from the authorities," Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla told Fox Deportes before the cancellation of the games.

It's the second consecutive tournament that has seen Round 10 postponed, after the Clausura's 10th round was moved back because of a referee strike.

Earlier in the day, Club America owner Televisa had announced the club's match against Chivas set for Saturday in the Estadio Azteca has been postponed.

The two clubs are the country's oldest rivals and the Clasico Nacional is one of the most anticipated matches of the year. But fans will continue to wait as the Mexico City recovers from Tuesday's earthquake that caused more than two dozen buildings to collapse throughout the capital and the surrounding region, killing more than 200 people.

The quake came just days after another earthquake hit off the coast of southwest Mexico, causing deaths and damage in Chiapas and Oaxaca.

"The America vs. Guadalajara match Saturday, September 23 is postponed. Club America has decided not to distract the attention of the thousands of security and civil protection officers who generally come with an event of this nature," a Televisa statement read. 

"Their players, coaching staff and the rest of the staff will be supporting different aid efforts taking place as volunteers. We reiterate that when the match is rescheduled, all ticket sales for the Clasico Nacional will be designated to reconstruction works in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelos and (Mexico City)."

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