How has preseason gone for Guadalajara’s academy products?

We are just over a week away from the start of the Clausura 2026 for Guadalajara, who still have two preseason matches ahead. In those games, Gabriel Milito will look to fine-tune the team’s performance and test players from the Rojiblanca Academy who could prove very useful throughout the tournament.

In total, there are nine new faces taking part in Chivas’ preseason ahead of the upcoming tournament, all with the goal of being thoroughly evaluated by the Guadalajara head coach, who has made it clear that he fully trusts young talent after giving 4,115 minutes to U-20 players during the past AP25.

Several of these players saw action in El Rebaño Sagrado’s friendly match against Irapuato, so below we take a closer look at their performances in that game.

Francisco Méndez: The left-footed center back left a very positive impression. In addition to his well-known qualities on the ball, which allow him to find teammates making runs, he showed strong form in defensive duels and solid protection of his area.

Samir Inda: The midfielder, who made his top-flight debut with a goal, once again delivered a strong showing on the pitch. Not only did he score a spectacular right-footed goal, but he was also very involved in passing sequences.

Sergio Aguayo: He played as part of a two-man attack and showed clear intentions to combine in tight spaces. He also demonstrated good off-the-ball movement, pulling away from his marker to finish comfortably, as he did on his goal.

Ángel Chávez: The center back, who recently joined Tapatío, produced solid defensive actions, both near the box and in open-field situations.

Gael García Ortega: “Galleta” also took part in preseason last tournament and has remained on Gabriel Milito’s radar since then. Against La Trinca, he showed good turns and ball-carrying ability. He also displayed positive touches with his passing, looking to find teammates making runs on the far side.

Jorge Guzmán: Tapatío’s left wing-back enjoyed quality minutes, showcasing strong ball-carrying and accurate crosses from the flank that helped find unmarked attackers inside the box.

Leonardo Jiménez: He featured as a right wing-back and finished the match with very solid defensive actions.