Mohamed's first league match with América came on 4 January 2014 in a 3–0 victory over UANL at the Estadio Azteca. Mohamed suffered his first defeat as América manager on 10 January in a 0–1 loss to Tijuana. Following a run of three-consecutive victories against León, Atlas, and Atlante, América suffered defeats to Pachuca and Morelia – both by a score of 0–1 – the first time they lost back-to-back games since the Clausura 2012 tournament, leading the club's start to the tournament to be described as a "crisis". The team was criticized for its defensive style of play, with many drawing comparisons to predecessor Miguel Herrera's more offensive-minded tactics and his successful reign at the club, though some believed that a lack of a proper pre-season and the club being in a period of transition were the reasons for the team's poor performances.