Cruz Azul 2-0 Chivas: score, goals, highlights, 2022 Copa Sky final

Congratulations to Cruz Azul and fans of La Maquina across the world. Raul Gutierrez has a well organised and highly drilled side and should do well in the Clausura 2023.

Despite being disappointed tonight, Chivas under Veljko Paunovic look to be a better drilled unit and will cause problems for many teams with the new additions of Guzman and Daniel Rios.

What now for Chivas?

They've enjoyed a solid Copa Sky and just lacked composure and the ability to break down a resolute Cruz Azul defence tonight... Paunovic's men face a stern Clausura 2023 opener as they travel to face Monterrey on the opening game of the season.

Corona lifts the 2022 Copa Sky title and a handful of blue clad Cruz Azul supporters share the moment with their side.

Smiles all round on the face of the Cruz Azul players who were well organised and disciplined during the 90 minutes. 

Wins over Pumas and Club America on the path to the final will be a major boost for all fans of La Maquina with the 2023 Clausura season about to get underway.

Cruz Azul: Copa Sky champions

That's it as referee Macias calls time on the 2022 Copa Sky tournament and Cruz Azul are crowned champions with a 2-0 win over Chivas.

Free for Chivas... Vega to take ... poor from the Chivas winger as he sends the ball over the bar.

Yellow card for Guerrero and the No. 183 could have easily seen red for that very rash challenge. 

Into the final minute of normal time and the Copa Sky seems to be destined for the capital.

Cruz Azul celebrate goal No. 2

Cruel on Chivas who have been the dominant side throughout the whole game.... 

Cruz Azul double their lead as Carneiro fires home

Corona in no hurry with the goal kick as Cruz Azul sense they are just minutes away from winning the Copa por Mexico/Copa Sky once again.

Less than ten minutes left in the 2022 Copa Sky final as Gonzalez gets patched up by the Chivas medical team.

Gonzalez gets an elbow in the face from Carneiro and has blood pouring from the wound and needs urgent medical attention.

Beltran makes way and new signing Victor 'El Pocho' Guzman enters the action and has 12 minutes to make a difference.

Fifteen minutes remain at the Estadio Akron with Chivas poised to slip up for the first time in the Copa Sky.

Five changes for Chivas

Substitute Gonzalez tries an audacious back heel for Chivas but the ball is straight at the Cruz Azul stopper.

Cruz Azul 1-0 Chivas

Goooooooool. Great strike from Cruz Azul all made by a sublime pass from sub Carneiro.

Past the hour mark now and the pattern remains....Chivas press, Cruz Azul sit deep and look to hit the 'Rebaño' on the counter.

Great chance for Chivas as Brizuela is free and fails to meet a fine Alexis Vega corner as Carneiro replaces Estrada for La Maquina.

First card of the night is awarded to Cruz Azul striker Estrada as the Ecuador forward cynically pulls a rival back

Second change for Chivas as Ormeño is replaced by Tepa Gonzalez

Decent effort from substitute Tabo for Cruz Azul as the strike from the Uruguayan forces the keeper to save well.

Subs from both sides warming up now with changes inevitable, probably post the 60 minute mark.

A reminder that should things stay as they are (0-0), there would be no extra time and the Copa Sky 2022 would be decided by a penalty shoot out.

The first half taking on a similar pattern to that of the first 45' with Chivas on the ball and looking to create and probe as Cruz Azul, once again seem happy to lap up the pressure.

25 caps for El Tri with 6 international goals... What can Vega serve up tonight against the well drilled Cruz Azul back-line?

Muñoz makes way at the break from El Tri World Cup star Vega.

Off we go for the second half as La Maquina start the action.

The match officials return to the pitch followed by the two teams.... 

The game has been bright and Chivas have been the more creative of the two teams but it could do with a little more in terms of scoring chances with Cruz Azul yet to register an effort on target against the 2 of Chivas.

HT possession: Cruz Azul 43%-57% Chivas

Cruz Azul 0-0 Chivas

All square at the Estadio Akron in the 2022 Copa Sky final.

The whistle sounds as Ormeño heads straight at the Cruz Azul keeper. 

Better half from the 'Sacred Flock' as the players take a brief respite.

We'll have 2 minutes of added time.

Chivas corner but the ball is cleared eventually by the side in blue.

35,000 the reported attendance at the Estadio Akron today... this will be one of the three venues in Mexico that will be used at the 2026 World Cup along with the Azteca in the capital and the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.

Into the final five minutes of the game and it's been a bright game with Cruz Azul coming into the contest in the past few minutes but Paunovic's side certainly the team looking to take the match to their opposition.

Decent ball from Antuna as the delivery creates a degree of uncertainty in the Chivas defence. Jimenez looks somewhat rusty in the Chivas goal tonight. 

Best chance of the night falls to Pablo Perez as he catches the ball beautifully on the volley but watches on in frustration as the ball goes over the ball.

Chivas playing well and deserve more to be honest from the final as Cruz Azul sit deep.

Rotondi off-Tabo his replacement

Rotondi seems to have picked up a muscular problem as the Cruz Azul No.29 gestures to the bench and it looks like the Argentine's evening is set to come to an end.

Chivas fans out in number tonight

Still very much a game being dominated by Chivas with Cruz Azul happy to sit deep and soak up the pressure. Still nothing to resemble a clear-cut scoring chance from either side with the Jiminez error the only glimmer of danger from La Maquina.

Muñoz gets blocked and seems to be in some discomfort as Cruz Azul sportingly kick the ball out of play so the No. 33 can get medical attention after that bad fall.

Beltran has a go from long range but the effort from the 24-year-old lacks any semblance of accuracy and nothing to worry about for keeper Corona.

A reminder that tonight's final will be resolved by penalty kicks should the game remain tied after 90 minutes.

Poor keeping from Jimenez who fumbles the ball from a Cruz Azul corner. The Guadalajara side clear the ball at the second time of asking.

Chivas enjoying the better of the opening phase of the game as they totally dominate possession. 

Danger as Ormeño delivers a fina ball into the Cruz Azul box and once again, Corona was alert to intercept and save well for La Maquina.

Escobar gets clipped by Jesus Sanchez and after a few seconds on the ground gets to his feet and is good to go.

Remember, there is an unlimited amount of substitutes permitted in this competition and as we've seen in the Copa Sky this season, it's the second half where the bulk of the changes occur.

Danger now for Chivas as Cruz Azul win their first corner of the night... Estrada the target man but the side in red and white manager to clear the danger.

First corner of the night falls to Chivas but easy for Corona in the Cruz Azul to gather.

Off we go... Chivas get the 2022 Copa Sky final underway

Just before the action gets underway, we'll observe a minute's silence to remember the legend that was Pelé who passed away on Thursday aged 82. A warm round of applause rings out from the fans gathered at the Estadio Akron.

Oscar Macias is our match official tonight for the 2022 Copa Sky.

The national anthem plays as part of the pre-game protocol.

Both sides in their classic colours tonight... Chivas in red and white stripes with navy shorts... Cruz Azul in their iconic all royal blue. Despite the sold out claims, plenty of empty seats at the Akron as the teams greet the fans.

A packed house awaits at the Estadio Akron with a current temperature of 16C/63F in Jalisco as the teams take to the pitch.

We're just minutes away from the 2022 Copa Sky final as Cruz Azul will have a stern battle ahead in retaining their 2020 title against Chivas who will be out to impress their home fans.

Cruz Azul once again employing a 5-4-1 formation with Ecuador striker Estrada the lone point of attack for the side from CDMX.

The 'Sacred Flock' start with a 4-3-3 line up with Peru striker Ormeño the main focal point in the Chivas attack.

Tonight's final is a battle between two of the biggest sides in Mexican football with Chivas boasting 12 league titles against the 9 of Cruz Azul and both are commonly hailed as two of the 'Big 4' domestically along with Club America and Pumas UNAM.

Liga MX

Chivas sporting director Fernando Hierro explains why reinforcements took so long

This is how new sporting director Fernando Hierro analysed the recruitment policy at Chivas as the side build towards the start of the 2023 Clausura campaign.

Team news: Cruz Azul XI

The eleven player selected by La Maquina boss Raul Gutierrez ahead of tonight's Estadio Akron clash.  

Team news: Chivas XI

These are the eleven players selected by Paunovic ahead of the Copa Sky final with Mexico international Alexis Vega set to start on the bench.

Summer signing Santiago Ormeño will lead the line for the 'Sacred Flock'.

Both tonight's finalists face tough opening starts to the 2023 Liga MX Clausura as Chivas travel to Monterrey to face Rayados (Saturday 7 January) with Cruz Azul off to Tijuana on 8 January.

Given both teams run of form in pre-season and the fact that the game is being staged at the Estadio Akron, one would have to say that Chivas start the game as favourites.

Paunovic seems to have found the magic formula in pre-season with his Chivas side imporessing in this Copa Sky.

The Cruz Azul squad arrive at the Estadio Akron with less than an hour to go to the 2022 Copa Sky (Copa por Mexico) gets underway.

Cruz Azul vs Chivas: last five meetings

October 2022, Liga MX: Cruz Azul 2-1 Chivas

April 2022, Liga MX: Cruz Azul 0-1 Chivas

October 2021, Liga MX: Chivas 1-1 Cruz Azul

April 2021, Liga MX: Cruz Azul 1-0 Chivas

October 2020, Liga MX: Chivas 0-2 Cruz Azul

Chivas manager Veljko Paunovic and new sporting director Fernando Hierro both arrive at the Estadio Akron ahead of tonight's clash with the game being played at the home ground of the Guadalajara side despite Cruz Azul 'officially' being the home side.

Chivas

Chivas go into the final game with high confidence, as they have been the best team in the tournament so far.

Veljko Paunovic’s men have won all four games against Tigres, Santos, Atlas, and Mazatlán, scoring eight goals and only conceding one.

Chivas de Guadalajara will be looking to take revenge after losing to Cruz Azul 1-2 in the tournament’s first edition in 2020, but Los Celestes have won five of their last seven encounters.

Cruz Azul

La Máquina Celeste will have the chance of lifting the Copa Sky 2022 title, a warm-up tournament held in preparation for the Clausura 2023 Liga MX season.

Cruz Azul finished top of their section with eight points after defeating Pumas and Club América and sharing the spoils against Nexaca and Toluca.

Raúl Gutiérrez’s men got the ticket to the final after defeating Club América in the fourth and last Group A game. Rotondi and Estrada gave the advantage to Los Celestes but their opponents reacted with a Reyes goal.

In the end, Cruz Azul edged their opponents (2-1) in an exciting, hard-fought clash that ended with both teams playing with 10 men.

This is the second edition of the Copa por Mexico/ Copa Sky with tonight's final a repeat of the first edition as both the same sides faced off but with the 2020 final taking place in Mexico City and behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Cruz Azul ran out winners on that particular night with a 94th minute Jonathan Rodriguez sealing the title for 'La Maquina' as part of a 2-1 win.

The action from Akron Stadium gets underway at 8 p.m. local time (9:00 p.m, ET)

Hello and welcome to our live coverage as Cruz Azul face CD Guadalajara in the final of the 2022 Copa Sky.