Chivas dreaming of Club World Cup return

The CONCACAF Champions Cup is underway with a big incentive for all the teams participating - whoever lifts the trophy in June will also book a ticket to the inaugural edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, which will take place in December. The FIFA Intercontinental Cup is a new competition which has been launched while world football’s organizing body map out the finer details of the new, restructured Club World Cup, due to be played in the United States in the summer of 2025.

Guadalajara are keen to be involved. They took part in the 2018 edition - their only appearance, a brief one at that. They were eliminated in the second round, losing their opening game to Kashima Antlers 3-2. Jesús el Chapo Sánchez is one of the survivors of that team who dreams of returning.

“It’s a great opportunity for everyone, to be able to think about being in another Club World Cup,” he told the media this week. “It is something beautiful to aspire to. I am very happy that we have an opportunity to return. Chivas should always be in tournaments like this”. The right-back added that personally, he is in a golden moment of form. He registered an assist in the CONCACAF Champions Cup first round first leg against Forge FC, which Chivas won 1-3. “I’m feeling good, I feel happy, enjoying my football wherever I play. I try to contribute what I know and what I have for the benefit of the team. To put it simply: I’m enjoying it a lot,” he said.

Chivas taking no chances against Forge

Chivas meet Forge in the return leg on Tuesday. Despite having a two-goal advantage, Chapo is not overconfident. “We have to treat it as though it is the first game. Fernando [Gago] has told us that the advantage we have means nothing - the tie isn’t over. Forge is a good side and we know that if we go out too relaxed, it could cost us. We need to be focused from the first minute and try to sentence the tie,” he explained.

As for progressing in the tournament and the chance to lift the trophy for the third time in club history, he continued, “Hope is always there, it will always be there. Obviously, winning a title with this club would be amazing. We’re not going to get too excited because it’s too early, but the goal is to win and we have to take it step by step. There is a very good atmosphere in the group, the mood and feelings are good. I think we have a really good, united group of players - we all pull together. We have the opportunity now with this tournament to be more active and keep ourselves in rhythm”.

If América get past Real Estelí in their tie and Chivas do the same, there will be a Clásico Nacional in the next round, but Chivas don’t want to be getting ahead of themselves just yet. “We are not thinking about that,” Sánchez was eager to stress. “We are focused on tomorrow’s game. It will be a difficult match and as we have been saying inside the locker room, we’ll take it game by game. We don’t think about what’s going to happen tomorrow, we are focused only on today and the next game,” he said.

The defender also spoke about how well new arrival Cade Cowell, has been settling in. Mexican by birth, Cowell is an international with the United States and joined Chivas in the recent transfer window. “Obviously, when you arrive you try to incorporate him within the group. But to be honest, he’s adapted quite well. As you say, he is already trying to speak a little more Spanish and makes jokes in Spanish. You can see it in the videos that have come out, you can see it in the weekend celebration. The group is united and we are all part of it,” Chapo concluded .