Almost 4,000 kilometers away from home, Chivas took the first step in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, defeating Hamilton Forge 1-3 on Wednesday in the first leg of the first round of the continental competition. The match produced some very interesting items to analyze, and we will now take a closer look at what happened.
3 facts about the match
- The last two away matches that Chivas has played in this competition were in Canada. In both they won, since in addition to the 1-3 victory against the Forge, there is the 1-2 win against Toronto in the final of the 2018 edition.
- There were 2 players who made their debut in an official match with Guadalajara: Oscar Whalley and Leonardo Sepúlveda accumulated their first minutes with the Red and White.
- Cade Cowell debuted as a goal scorer with the Rebaño Sagrado, in a double goal match.
General analysis in 5 points
1. Guadalajara once again showed a good footballing version, as Fernando Gago managed to combine an unprecedented 11 players that also delivered good results on the field. It was the first time that the Argentinean tactician proposed a line of 3 defenders and 2 midfielders behind Ricardo Marín, which proved effective, as both Beltrán and Cowell understood their roles perfectly.
2. The defensive line provided enough tools to damage the opponent, as Castillo repeatedly broke into the back line, Sepúlveda found passes between the lines and Briseño was the support in controlling the team's depth.
3. Jesús Sánchez was positioned as a winger in defense and as an inside player in offensive phases, in order to stay on the sides of the double pivot and be a passing option, while Cade Cowell opened up to the wing to generate width. On the other side we had Mateo Chávez, who was in charge of receiving near the flank, while 'Nene' played between the lines and helped the Rebaño to progress in the final third.
4. From the 20th minute onwards, Chivas showed great harmony with and without the ball, as they found the right ways to circulate the ball and, in turn, attack the Forge's weak areas. Another highlight was the work of the Red-and-White team in the final minutes, as they were able to control the match by not losing the ball.
5. The double pivot also flowed quite well, as both 'Oso' and Eduardo Torres consistently shared the duties. Many times it was 'Lalo' who went down to participate in ball distribution, while González compensated for empty zones that were immediately exploited by Chiverío. In fact, 'Oso' provided a great assist for the first Red and White goal.
The MVP
- Cade Cowell took the spotlight of the match, as he was directly involved in Guadalajara's 3 goals. He scored the first and the third, while assisting Ricardo Marín on the second.
