Chivas and the Rojiblanca Nation rose to the occasion in a Liga MX Semifinal, battling and pushing until the very last breath of the second leg, but Guadalajara fell 1-2 to Cruz Azul (4-3 on aggregate) on the pitch of the Estadio Jalisco.
The match was driven by the Rebaño, fueled by the unbeatable atmosphere created by the Chivahermanos, who packed the Coloso de la Calzada Independencia and turned it into a true cauldron. Even after conceding a goal in the opening minutes, the rojiblancos responded immediately and went all-out in attack.
One specific play ended up deciding the course of the match: an unfortunate deflection that slipped into the Chivas net. Even so, Guadalajara never gave up searching for the goal that would send them to the Final. Gabriel Milito adjusted his pieces and the team pushed with all their heart to give their fans one more joy, but time ran out for the Rebaño.
That’s how a semester that made the entire Rojiblanca Nation dream comes to an end, leaving behind a bitter and unfair feeling. However, if this team has proven anything, it’s that they know how to rise from the toughest scenarios. And they will be back, Chivahermanos. Don’t doubt it.
The goals
- 0-1: La Máquina took the lead in the 5th minute with a shot from outside the box by Jeremy Márquez.
- 1-1: ¡GOVEA RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY! In the 7th minute, Omar collected the ball at the edge of the area, loaded up his shot, and unleashed a low strike that made the Jalisco erupt.
- 1-2: Cruz Azul regained the lead in the 65th minute after a fortunate deflection on a shot by Palavecino.
Dangerous chances
- ¡WHALLEY! In the 10th minute, the Chivas goalkeeper stood tall in the area to parry Ebere’s shot toward the far post.
- In the 28th minute, ‘Efra’ capitalized on a Cruz Azul buildup error, shifted onto his left foot, and aimed for the far post, but the ball didn’t curl enough.
- So close! In the 32nd minute, ‘Cotorro’ took advantage of a loose ball after a corner kick and flicked a header with the back of his head that narrowly missed the top corner.
- In the 34th minute, ‘Sando’ dove headfirst inside the box to meet Ledezma’s cross, directing it away from the goalkeeper, but his effort sailed just over the bar.
- In the 44th minute, Álvarez once again picked up the ball at the edge of the area and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that ended up in the goalkeeper’s hands.
- ¡WHALLEY AGAIN! After a slip by the defense, Paradela found himself one-on-one with Oscar in the 53rd minute, but the Chivas keeper waited until the final moment to deny him with a strong save.
- Fly, Oscar! In the 54th minute, Palavecino found space for a long-range effort toward the far post, but Whalley produced a spectacular diving save to push the ball out for a corner.
Guadalajara 1 (3)-(4) 2 Cruz Azul
(Omar Govea 7’)
(Jeremy Márquez 5’ and Agustín Palavecino 65’)
Referee: César Arturo Ramos Palazuelos
Estadio Jalisco
Lineups
Guadalajara: 13 Oscar Whalley; 2 José Castillo (67 Sergio Aguayo 69’ (YC 85’)), 19 Diego Campillo, 24 Miguel Gómez, 37 Richard Ledezma (23 Daniel Aguirre 56’), 28 Rubén González (C), 6 Omar Govea, 5 Bryan González (YC 41’), 10 Efraín Álvarez (17 Ricardo Marín 45’), 226 Santiago Sandoval (31 Yael Padilla 56’) and 20 Ángel Sepúlveda.
Head Coach: Gabriel Milito
Cruz Azul: 23 Kevin Mier; 3 Omar Campos (YC 86’) (5 Gilberto ‘Chiquete’ Orozco 82’), 4 Willer Ditta, 33 Gonzalo Piovi, 29 Rodolfo Rotondi (18 Luka Romero 70’); 8 Agustín Palavecino (10 Andrés Montaño 82’), 16 Jeremy Márquez, 17 Amaury García, 19 Carlos Rodríguez (C); 20 José Paradela (YC 30’) (194 Amaury Morales 90’) and 11 Osinachi Ebere (21 Gabriel Fernández 70’).
Head Coach: Joel Huiqui
