LIGA MX
Contrasting starts for América and Chivas in matchday 2 as Cowell debuts
The second round of fixtures in Clausura 2024 leaves the Azulcremas as leaders with a perfect record as Guadalajara falter again.
Sunday marked the conclusion of Matchday 2 in the Clausura 2024 of Liga MX, where Chivas de Guadalajara faced Tigres UANL and suffered a painful defeat. In contrast, Club América secured victory against Gallos de Querétaro on Saturday night, shaping a distinct reality for the two most traditional teams in Mexico in the league standings.
Of course we must begin with an acknowledgement that it’s far too early in the campaign to seriously evaluate both teams, considering that Club América, coming off a championship, started the tournament with the participation of some substitutes. Additionally, Fernando Gago’s project is just beginning but shows an interesting side after the first two weeks of competition. While Las Águilas have accumulated six points, the Rojiblancos have one.
The Eagles soar
André Jardine’s squad deployed its starting eleven in the match held at the Estadio Azteca, serving as their presentation to the fans after winning the 14th title. In this encounter, the protagonists were not much different from that in the final against Tigres last December, as Richard Sánchez once again scored a stunning long-distance goal, and Julián Quiñones also found the back of the net.
In contrast to the first match, the Mexico City team went with a rather offensive 4-2-3-1 formation, similar to their match against Xolos, where they had double full-backs or at times formed a line of five at the back. It’s worth noting that for América fans, this could have been the last occasion they saw players like Álvaro Fidalgo, Sebastián Cáceres, and Brian Rodríguez in their jersey.
Chivas’ missed chances
Chivas generated opportunities but failed to capitalize. Considering that Gago’s process is just starting, it’s notable that his team created significant chances against the team from Nuevo León. The midfield-to-forward fluidity was attractive with the likes of Fernando Beltrán, Érick Gutiérrez and Víctor Guzmán showing well.
In the second half, where both referees and VAR had to intervene on both sides, Cade Cowell made his debut as a Rojiblanco. After coming on, he positioned himself as a centre forward and unfortunately missed two clear opportunities that could have meant the equalizer. Later, he moved to the left wing, where he seemed more comfortable.