Chivas have won the first game of their series against Toluca 1-0. Both teams are playing each other in the quarterfinal round of the “liguilla”, the Liga MX playoffs. It was a closely contested match as it usually is during this time of the season.
Chivas continued their strong form after this win since they have now won six matches in a row and are undefeated in their last eight. This streak goes back two months since they were eliminated in the CONCACAF Champions Cup by America.
The team has been stellar on the defensive end only giving up two goals in the last eight matches. It was a struggle for first-year coach Fernando Gago when he took over the team to start the season. He has figured it out and Chivas are the strongest they have been in years. Can they win the Liga MX title?
Chivas: Strong Midfield Performances
Chivas winning last night can be attributed to the strong midfield play from Erick Gutiérrez. He had a great game including saving a goal with a tackle on Jean Meneses after a bad turnover right in front of the net. Gutiérrez and Pável Pérez were excellent, recovering the ball and creating dangerous counterattacks.
Chivas has depended on the midfield all season to create goals and hold down the defense. They have struggled to score goals at times so a strong defensive effort is what is needed to win matches. Raúl Rangel has also been a strong goalkeeper for Chivas this season picking up 8 shutouts so far.
Chivas: Tough Night for Chicharito
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It was a scoreless match at half. Chivas knew they had to take some chances in the second half to try and take the lead in the series knowing that the second leg is in Toluca, a tough place to play. That’s what Chivas did from the start of the second half trying to get a goal.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, the team’s big signing in January struggled in this match missing a few key opportunities to give Chivas the lead. Hernandez has struggled to get in game shape this season and has been dealing with various injuries. When he was subbed out midway through the second half for Ricardo Marín it seemed like Chivas let loose after that and started to look more dangerous.
Pável Pérez had a goal wiped away in the 70th minute after a long VAR review. The referee called that there was a handball when Pérez received that ball with his chest. It was a very close call that most likely would have not been in the pre-VAR days. Chivas didn’t let that controversy affect their game and they made a few big substitutions.
Also Read: Manuel Neuer’s Blunder Cost Bayern UCL Semi-Final Against Real Madrid
Chivas: Sometimes All it Takes Is One Goal…
Victor Guzman entered the match for Isaac Brizuela and he ended up scoring the winning goal minutes later. Guzman is the leading scorer for Chivas this season with 7 goals and he is once again an important part of the team’s success, just like in the Clausura 2023 when Chivas made a run to the Final against Tigres.
A bad clearance by Toluca goalkeeper Tiago Volpi landed on Roberto “Piojo” Alvarado’s head and he passed it to Guzman and shot a one-timer into the net to give Chivas the lead in the 85th minute. Saturday night will be the second leg in Toluca, a win or draw will do for Chivas to advance while Toluca needs to win to advance and has the advantage if the series ends up being tied in goals since they finished higher in the standings.
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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