There will be another edition of the “Superclasico” in Mexico. It will be a special one with both teams trying to advance to the Final as they will meet in the semifinal over a two-legged series. The series will open in Guadalajara since Chivas finished 6th and America number one in the standings. America will have the advantage of advancing to the Final if they finish tied in goals after two games since they are the higher seed.
Chivas has been another team since being eliminated from CONCACAF back in March, now going undefeated in 9 straight matches and only giving up 2 goals in that run. Chivas has the momentum going into the series while America has looked shaky to close the season. They had to score a last-minute goal to advance to this round in a series that should have been easier against Pachuca.
Who will prevail?
Chivas vs America Preview
Chivas
Strong team defense from Chivas is what brought them here. The entire team has sacrificed a flashy style of play to instead play shutdown defense in this nine-match run. Chivas goalkeeper Raul Rangel has been a revelation in the Mexican soccer world. Rangel was not expected to be the starter going into the season but he took the position and has had a historic season where he made 60 saves.
Chivas has been a team that hasn’t made a lot of errors in this run. They have played smart and their manager Fernando Gago has done a great job with this team. Gago was hired to start the season and he had no experience coaching in Liga MX but he has fit in perfectly. If they continue their defensive excellence they will be tough to beat.
Also Read: Julián Quiñones Brilliant Heroics Saves America With Last Minute Goal
America
America is the defending champions of the Liga MX. After a 5 year drought, America won the Apertura 2023. This team let off a lot of pressure after that win. Going into 2024 the team had two goals, win CONCACAF to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and go back-to-back in Liga MX for the first time in 10 years as a club.
They failed in the first objective in trying to win CONCACAF, now their focus is Liga MX. Are they favorites to beat Chivas? Sure, they were the number one team all season and on paper, America has a better roster. If America scores two or more goals they most likely win the series. Chivas doesn’t have enough scoring to keep up in a high-scoring series and America knows that.
Chivas vs America: Probable Starting Lineups
Chivas: Rangel (GK), Mozo, Sepulveda, Orozco, Castillo, Alvarado, Guzman, Gutierrez, Beltran, Perez, Marin
America: Moreno(GK), L. Rodriguez, Cabral, Micolta, Gonzalez, Pedraza, M. Rodriguez, Deossa, Sanchez, Idrissi, Rondon
Chivas vs America Head-to-Head
They have played each other three times this season. America beat Chivas 3-0 in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 and then Chivas beat America 3-2 in the second leg. America won 5-3 in the aggregate score.
Chivas and America tied 0-0 in their lone league matchup.
Injury Report
Chivas: R. Martinez out
America: S. Caceres, E. Lara out
About the Author
Mike Nelson lives and breathes sports. Ever since he was very young he has also dreamed of covering sports. Mike graduated from CSULA in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. He has been very lucky to cover sports and be on the radio for the last few years with different organizations including a stint with the LA Galaxy where he was one of the announcers for the LA Galaxy 2 team for two seasons.
Mike loves music, he hosts his radio show/podcast “The Mike Nelson Show” where he has gotten to interview the biggest names in rock and metal including Les Claypool, David Ellefson, and others.
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