Fansided

Why Guadalajara’s win against Leon changes nothing

By Nestor Esquivel

ZAPOPAN, MEXICO - APRIL 27: Tomas Boy, Head Coach of Chivas argues during the 16th round match between Chivas and Leon as part of the Torneo Clausura 2019 Liga MX at Akron Stadium on April 27, 2019 in Zapopan, Mexico. (Photo by Alfredo Moya/Jam Media/Getty Images)
ZAPOPAN, MEXICO - APRIL 27: Tomas Boy, Head Coach of Chivas argues during the 16th round match between Chivas and Leon as part of the Torneo Clausura 2019 Liga MX at Akron Stadium on April 27, 2019 in Zapopan, Mexico. (Photo by Alfredo Moya/Jam Media/Getty Images) /
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The Chivas ended their 8-game winless streak by shocking Leon, but the victory shouldn’t fool anyone.

Last night in Estadio Akron, the Chivas hosted Leon with everyone thinking the “Rebaño Sagrado” would lose miserably against the league’s best team. Fortunes were with the Chivas though as they ground out a 2-1 victory to end Leon’s historic 12-game win streak.

A Chivas win is something to be happy about but fans slowly snapped out of their reverie as they realized their team would miss the Liguilla for a fourth straight season and loaned-out teen sensation J.J. Macias was starting for the league’s best team – León. Not only that, Macias is the top Mexican-born scorer in the Liga MX with 8 goals.

Leon controlled the tempo of the game although that has been the usual practice for the Chivas under its last two coaches. Coach Jose Cardozo (fired after Matchday 12) preferred to sit back and counter, but his Chivas showed fight when called upon to press. On Saturday night, the Chivas looked compact and focused on defending, and they did it well. But for fans of Matias Almeyda’s Chivas (from 2015 to 2018), it’s an eyesore to watch them play at the moment.

Against Leon, the Chivas relied on counter attacking and the most brilliant play came from Eduardo ‘Chofis’ Lopez, a dynamic playmaker (and a defensive liability) who has been in and out of the doghouse for a year or more. The first goal came from a play that didn’t inspire much confidence, and was due more to Leon goalie Rodolfo Cota’s failure to position himself better.

More concerning are player personnel decisions, because it is hard to understand why Juan Basulto and Hedgardo Marin are leading the backline when long-time captain Jair Pereira is healthy. It is also unfortunate that coach Tomas Boy gets credit for this win, likely leading to further mistakes and incompetence. For the sake of Chivas fans, I hope I’m wrong.

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The truth at the moment is that things are going to get worse for the Chivas before they get better. The only thing this result changed was a slight boost in the upcoming fight to avoid relegation.

Coach Boy managed to save Atlas from relegation in 2013 but he should not be in charge of a team of this caliber and he demonstrated that when he managed Cruz Azul in 2016. No doubt, the Chivas desperately need more quality players but it’s pointless if the same coach is in charge.

The Chivas spent money nobody thought they had during the winter transfer window and there are whispers of more big-name signings over the summer, but that will mean nothing without a capable coach. It’s alarming to think that top-notch coaches decline the opportunity to manage a prestigious team because the egos of upper management are so repellent. For now, we are not talking about the glorious Chivas of decades past. Instead, we are looking at a team that resembles Neftlix’s “Club De Cuervos.”

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