Óscar Whalley and Ricardo Marín set to make Chivas debuts
Guadalajara’s latest signings are ready to make their first appearance with the first team in a friendly.
Time is pressing for Guadalajara. After losing the 2023 Clausura final against Tigres on 28 May, the club is fighting a battle against time to be ready for the start of the Apertura 2023. It means that their pre-season will be much shorter than usual. On Wednesday, Chivas will play the first friendly match - a chance for Veljko Paunovic to take a look at his team in action and make any necessary tactical alterations.
The club issued an update on the team’s pre-season schedule: “Guadalajara’s preparations continue in order for the team to be in peak form for the start of the Apertura 2023 and the Leagues Cup. Part of that mission includes an adjustment in its pre-season planning. Veljko Paunovic’s team had agreed a friendly match against Querétaro booked for Thursday, but the schedule changed and said match will take place one day earlier than originally planned,” the club reported.
The friendly against Querétaro will be played on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at the Corregidora Stadium. Guadalajara have been based in Juriquilla for several days after deciding against travelling to the coast as they have in recent years.
Chivas have just two reinforcement for the pre-season: Spanish-Mexican goalkeeper Óscar Whalley, who joined from CD Lugo (the Galician club was relegated to the third tier in Spain), and striker Ricardo Marín, who ended last season as top scorer for Celaya in the Expansion League. Both could be handed their first minutes as rojiblancos on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, coach Veljko Paunovic is waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. So far, a handful of names have been mentioned, including Luis Chávez, Fidel Ambriz, Alan Pulido and Luca Martínez Dupuy but none of them has prompted the board to take action.