Monterrey have gone down in history as the first-ever Liga MX side to challenge a considerable new rule. At the recent San Luis-Monterrey clash, the Rayados side benefitted from relaxed travel requirements, arriving only hours before the kick-off.
The fixture took place at the Estadio Alfonso Lastras, home of Atlético San Luis, during the second round of the Apertura 2025 season. A narrow 1–0 victory for Monterrey gave some gravity to the rule, even indicating that performances on matchday would not be compromised by the reduced timeline.
Monterrey made Liga MX history by arriving just hours before kick-off, testing a bold new travel rule.
What Is The New Rule Being Tested?
The new Liga MX rule states that away teams could arrive only eight hours before kick-off, instead of the 24-hour period previously respected. It was designed to lessen the logistics burden on clubs and players in the case of a relatively short-distance trip within the same day.
The match between Monterrey and San Luis served as the inaugural competitive testing of the rule. Rayados took advantage and arrived on matchday morning with almost no hotel stays or pre-match fatigue.
Why Did Liga Mx Introduce This Change?
League officials issued the determination based on input from clubs and medical teams. Clubs indicated that the prolonged overnight stay disrupted players’ routines more than it helped.
Properly put, they argue, short-distance travel in Mexico, like the 520 km stretch between Monterrey and San Luis Potosí, is not necessarily a full-day condition for preparation. Hence, Liga MX modified the regulations to permit teams in this scenario to arrive on the day of the match provided they have met the minimum of eight hours.
Liga MX updated its travel rule after clubs and doctors flagged overnight stays as disruptive to players’ routines.
Match Overview: Monterrey Strike Late In First Half
The game was always competitive, yet it was Germán Berterame who gave the decisive goal: the striker scored the only goal of this game in the 42nd minute after an assist from Sergio Canales, giving Monterrey the lead just before the break.
But San Luis could not capitalize from several good chances. Monterrey clung on in defence while San Luis was pushing in the late minutes in the second half. Then, with the final whistle Friday, the away side went home 1–0 victors.
Does Same-Day Travel Impact Performance?
The result makes one say otherwise, or, at least, in this case. Monterrey showed no signs of tiredness or erratic coordination even after having a rather tight window to prepare for the match. Actually, that lean travel schedule may have been the thing that kept the players fresher and more focused.
Long hours at hotels along with long travel times have been argued by medical staff from various clubs to be able to adversely affect the sleep cycles, nutrition, and warm-up routines. With domestic air travel times being short in Mexico, working acute examples of a same-day arrival could prove viable, more so for midweek fixtures.
The same could prove to be troublesome when the route is longer or the schedule is more complex. A late flight or an airport issue would almost optimally affect the preparation for a match.
Will Other Clubs Follow Monterrey’s Lead?
Likely so, and some clubs from Liga MX have since shown interest in the model. Club America and Tigres are reported to be considering similar travel plans for upcoming matches within 600 km.
That would mean that teams might apply it on an individual basis. There are still managers who want at least a whole day for local acclimatisation, especially in cities at higher altitude or those with a different climate.
In the case of San Luis v Monterrey, both cities are altitudinally similar. Coupled with a straightforward flight and a short drive to the stadium, the travel plan provided by Monterrey thus became a rather low-risk experiment.
Liga Mx Travel Policy: A Modern Shift
The travel rule update has been among initiatives to modernise Liga MX’s competition framework. Ultimate care for the players being in focus, administrators want to address logistics-related issues that have long troubled recovery and preparation.
It is also believed by analysts that club shipping costs can be cut throughout a season. Being able to reduce those costs by even 10 or 15% through hotel stays and transport becomes significant to clubs with a thin operating budget.
That, in turn, can bring more standardisation into matchday procedures. As such, clubs might even witness performance enhancements from lowering disruption before a game.
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Conclusion: Rayados Set A New Standard
A match like Monterrey vs San Luis may not make headlines just for its scoreline, but it makes for on-the-floor changes in the Liga MX approach to competition management.
As the very first team to implement the eight-hour travel rule, Monterrey has thrown open the doors to the creative preparation of Mexican clubs for matches. With three points to their name and no sign of exhaustion, Rayados may just have given the league the premier pilot test ever.
Subsequent fixtures will decide whether this rule remains; meanwhile, it is glaring that Rayados knocked it out of the park both on track and off.
