LIGA MX
Chivas vs America Liga MX: Who is the referee for the Clásico Nacional?
Chivas and Club América meet for the first time in the Liga MX Clausura 2023 at Estadio Akron on Saturday.
In the history of the Clásico Nacional, there have been clashes that have spiralled out of control and, on occasion, players on opposing sides have even come to blows. With that in mind, the match officials always have an important role to play when Chivas and Club América meet, with passions generally running high, and pride and honour at stake, as well as the three points. We have seen one or two red cards in the fixture in the past, after all...
Who will referee Chivas vs Club América?
The latest encounter takes place on Saturday at Estadio Akron in Zapopan on matchday 13 of Liga MX’s Clausura 2023 tournament. Marco Antonio Ortiz Nava will be the man in the middle and will be assisted by Christian Kiabek Espinoza and Jorge Antonio Sánchez, with Diego Montaño Robles acting as the four official.
Ortiz Nava has taken charge of eight matches in the Clausura 2023 and has been the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in several others, including Pumas vs Juárez on matchday 1 and both León vs Puebla and Cruz Azul vs Atlas on matchday 7.
The numbers behind the referee
In total, he has issued a total of 39 cards; 33 yellows, three of which have been second cautions that have then led to a players being sent off. He has also shown red cards to three coaching staff members. Ortiz Nava has shown an average of 4.1 yellow cards and 0.4 reds per match; his overall average of 4.5 cards per game puts him 10th on the list of 20 match officials that have refereed in the Clausura 2023 this season.
Ortiz Nava has been in the middle for two Chivas matches since the league got underway in January, a 2-1 home defeat against Toluca on matchday three and a victory by the same scoreline away to Pumas on matchday eight, a game in which he brandished no fewer than seven yellow cards and one red (to the hosts’ Diogo).
Saturday’s clash will be the first time he has crossed paths with América since their Apertura 2022 semi-final loss to Toluca in October last year.