Chivas proposed, took almost total control of the match, generated opportunities and was able to recover from adversity in their first match of the year against Santos Laguna. Fernando Gago's team drew 1-1 at the Akron Stadium, on Matchday 1 of the Clausura 2024.
Although the Rebaño carried the weight of the action for a good part of the match, the visitors took the lead in a deadly counterattack. Chivas tried until the end and, despite being behind on the scoreboard, and having a penalty and a goal reversed by the VAR, looked for variations to score as a home team, until they found it in the last play through the head of Erick Gutiérrez.
Three players from the Rojiblanca youth academy made their Liga MX debut tonight: Mateo Chávez, Gael García and Armando González.
The goal
-In the last play of the match, Víctor Guzmán took a free kick to the right side of the area, where he found 'Pollo' Briseño, who, with every intention, crossed to the far post to find 'Guti'. The Sinaloa native only had to twist his neck to send it into the cage.
Dangerous Opportunites
- At 6', Pável Pérez crossed from the left, the ball found 'Chapo' Sánchez on the other side and he sent a header that the opponent barely deflected.
-At 8', 'Piojo' Alvarado changed the play to Pável's zone, cut back to the center with a double mark and shot across before the defense's deflection.
-At 20', 'JJ' Macías played as a post, served from the right to Alvarado, who returned the ball to Macías, who shot against the defender's cover.
At 21' 'Guti' shot from distance, the ball bounced off the defense and left 'JJ' one-on-one with Acevedo; his shot was barely scraped by the goalkeeper and passed close.
-At 45+2', a penalty was awarded to Guadalajara for a foul on 'Piojo' at the entrance to the area; the VAR later reversed the offside flag.
At 53', 'Pocho' took a mid-range shot that hit Acevedo's left post.
-At 58', 'Nene' Beltrán found space in the center, drove and shot from outside the area, close to the upper left corner of the Santista goal.
-At 68', Guzmán crossed from the left looking for José Juan, before Acevedo's fist found the ball.
At 72', the Rebaño combined on the right with 'Piojo' and Mozo against the back line; Alan crossed to the front post for 'JJ' to unmark the ball and score with a back-heel. Only a deflection by the defense prevented Rebaño's first goal.
-At 93', Gael García found a second play inside the box, controlled the ball and sent it into the net. After a VAR review, it was determined that the Rojiblanco player had handed the ball.
Guadalajara 1-1 Santos
(Erick Gutiérrez at 97')
(Harold Preciado at 64')
Referee: Fernando Hernández.
Akron Stadium
Lineups:
Chivas: 27 Raúl Rangel; 50 Mateo Chávez (4 Antonio Briseño at 79'), 3 Gilberto Sepúlveda, 13 Jesús Orozco, 17 Jesús Sánchez (AM at 26') (2 Alan Mozo at 45'); 15 Erick Gutiérrez (AM at 43'), 20 Fernando Beltrán (47 Gael García at 79'), 5 Víctor Guzmán (C); 6 Pável Pérez, 25 Roberto Alvarado, 9 José Juan Macías (34 Armando González at 84').
Coach Fernando Gago
Santos: 1 Carlos Acevedo (C) (AM at 70') (33 Héctor Holguín at 70'); 2 Omar Campos, 4 Santiago Núñez (AM at 15'), 21 Matheus Dória (AM at 76'), 3 Ismael Govea; 6 Alan Cervantes, 18 Pedro Aquino (16 Aldo López at 89'), 11 Duván Vergara (17 Jair González at 79', 24 Diego Medina (23 Raúl López at 89'); 10 Franco Fagúndez (19 Santiago Muñoz at 79'), 7 Harold Preciado.
D.T. Pablo Repetto
