1996–97 Copa México
The Copa México 1996–97 was the 67th staging of the Copa México and the 40th staging in the professional era. The competition did not return until 2012.
| Country | Mexico |
|---|---|
| Teams | 33 |
| Defending champions | Tigres UANL |
| Champions | Cruz Azul |
| Runners-up | Toros Neza |
← 1995–96 | |
The competition started on June 28, 1996, and concluded on August 3, 1996, with the final, in which Cruz Azul lifted the trophy for second time ever, with a 2-0 victory over Toros Neza.
For this edition was played by 33 teams, between Primera División and Primera División A, where the group winners advance to the semi-finals. In the qualifying round, a penalty shutout follows if tie after regulation. the group stage was a 1-game serie.
Group stage
Group 1
Teams from Primera División: Atlante F.C., Celaya, Morelia, Toros Neza, Pachuca and Toluca
Teams from Primera División A: Cruz Azul Hidalgo, Irapuato and San Luis
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PKW | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toros Neza | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 8 | +9 | 18 | Advanced to the next phase |
| 2 | San Luis | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 15 | |
| 3 | Irapuato | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 12 | |
| 4 | Pachuca | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 12 | |
| 5 | Atlante F.C. | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 12 | |
| 6 | Morelia | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 12 | −2 | 12 | |
| 7 | Cruz Azul Hidalgo | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 12 | |
| 8 | Toluca | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 9 | |
| 9 | Celaya | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 15 | −8 | 6 |
Group 2
Teams from Primera División: Atlas, Guadalajara, León and Tecos UAG
Teams from Primera División A: Hermosillo, La Piedad, San Francisco and Tijuana
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PKW | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalajara | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 6 | +19 | 18 | Advanced to the next phase |
| 2 | León | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 15 | |
| 3 | Atlas | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 12 | |
| 4 | La Piedad | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 12 | |
| 5 | Tecos UAG | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 12 | |
| 6 | Tijuana | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 9 | |
| 7 | San Francisco | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 6 | |
| 8 | Hermosillo | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 19 | −12 | 3 |
Group 3
Teams from Primera División: Club América, Monterrey and Santos Laguna
Teams from Primera División A: Saltillo, Tampico Madero, Tigres UANL, Correcaminos UAT and U. de N.L.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PKW | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tigres UANL | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 18 | Advanced to the next phase |
| 2 | Club América | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 12 | +4 | 15 | |
| 3 | Tampico Madero | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 13 | +3 | 15 | |
| 4 | U. de N.L. | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 12 | |
| 5 | Saltillo | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 9 | |
| 6 | Santos Laguna | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | |
| 7 | Monterrey | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 6 | |
| 8 | Correcaminos UAT | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 3 |
Group 4
Teams from Primera División: Cruz Azul, Necaxa, Puebla, Pumas UNAM and Veracruz
Teams from Primera División A: Acapulco, Marte and Zacatepec
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PKW | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cruz Azul | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 8 | +12 | 18 | Advanced to the next phase |
| 2 | Pumas UNAM | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 15 | |
| 3 | Necaxa | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 15 | |
| 4 | Puebla | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 12 | |
| 5 | Zacatepec | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 9 | |
| 6 | Veracruz | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 6 | |
| 7 | Marte | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 15 | −6 | 6 | |
| 8 | Acapulco | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 | −15 | 3 |
Championship round
| Semifinals 31 July 1996 | Final 3 August 1996 | ||||||||
| Guadalajara | 0 | ||||||||
| Toros Neza | 2 | ||||||||
| Toros Neza | 0 | ||||||||
| Cruz Azul | 2 | ||||||||
| Tigres UANL | 1(3) | ||||||||
| Cruz Azul (p) | 1(4) | ||||||||
Final
| Toros Neza | 0 – 2 | Cruz Azul |
|---|---|---|
Luis Carlos de Oliveira  Carlos Hermosillo |
| Copa México 1996–97 Winners |
|---|
| Cruz Azul 2nd title |