Chivas host Liga MX’s own version of Monday Night Fútbol
Because the Super Bowl coincides with the Chivas’ normal weekend home game schedule, their Matchday 5 clash with Veracruz was moved back to Monday night.
Its been over five years since the Liga MX had a Monday night game, the last one being a Week 8 Apertura 2013 match between Pumas and America. On Feb. 4, the Chivas welcome Veracruz to Estadio Akron just outside Guadalajara.
A Chivas victory would keep them near the top of the table where they are currently trailing Monterrey by a single point through four games. Both “El Rebaño Sagrado” and “los Tiburones” are coming off losses, so there is not a great deal of momentum for either team heading into the Monday Night Fútbol match.
The Chivas had won five straight games heading into last week’s match against Santos, but former Guadalajara player Jose Juan “Gallito” Vazquez spoiled their winning streak, scoring the only goal in the 1-0 victory for the home team.
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Guadalajara had many opportunities to equalize but veteran goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco kept a clean sheet with a phenomenal performance. Santos was the “smarter” team and applied tremendous on-ball pressure throughout the match. The Chivas simply could not find space and never managed a clear breakthrough.
Veracruz has just 1 point through four matches and remains the only team in Liga MX that has yet to register a goal in Clausura 2019.
Los Tiburones suffered a tough 1-0 loss at home against Puebla, as Canadian striker Lucas Cavallini scored in minute 38, giving Puebla their first win at the Estadio Luis Pirate Fuente in four years.
It was not a quality match and critics claimed the most exiting part of the match was when a possum invaded the the field prior to halftime. That certainly is something you rarely see in soccer in Mexico.
One interesting development from this past week was the signing of veteran defender Carlos Salcido by Veracruz. Salcido, 38, played 5 years with the Chivas before leaving for Europe in 2006. He returned to Guadalajara and had a hand in their recent success, helping the Chivas win two Copa MX titles and the Clausura 2017 Liga MX championship.
Prediction
With the slump Veracruz is in, I do not see them earning a win on the Chivas’ home turf. Guadalajara has turned the tables from last season’s listless performance and they seem like a whole new team. With weapons like Alan Pulido, Alexis Vega and Isaac Brizuela, I anticipate an easy victory for the Chivas.