What does Chivas need to eliminate América in the Concachampions?

Guadalajara are on the brink of consummating one of the biggest failures in recent years, after losing the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 tie to América. A resounding 0-3 defeat at Akron stadium means the rojiblancos are virtually eliminated from the region’s most important competition.

What do Chivas need to classify?

Receiving three goals with no reply is bad enough but to lose by such a scoreline away from home complicates matters for Chivas. The away goals rule applies in the knockout tournament but there is no extra-time or overtime. To level the tie, they must beat América 0-3 in next week’s return at the Azteca. Such a result would leave the aggregate score at 3-3, with both teams having scored the same number of away goals. If that happens the tie will be decided by a penalty shootout. To win the tie outright, the 12-time Mexican champions would need to win 0-4 or by any other score with a four-goal margin.

However, the task will become much harder if not impossible if América score in the return leg. The away goals rule will come into play again. If América score one goal, Chivas would need to score at least five (4-5 agg.); if América score twice, Chivas would need to score a minimum of six (5-6 agg.). Obviously, Chivas can boost their chances of continuing in the tournament by keeping a clean sheet - something they’ve only managed once this year (in the 0-2 win over Atlético San Luis in the Clausura 2024).

As for the Coapa team, they have the upper hand and even if they lose the return leg 0-1 or 0-2 they would still continue to the next round. The last time the Sacred Flock came back from a tie was precisely against América - in the Clausura 2023 semi-finals. Álex Zendejas gave the Águilas a 0-1 advantage in the first leg but Chivas responded in the return with goals from Ronaldo Cisneros, Alan Mozo and Gilberto Orozco Chiquete to win the game 1-3 and the tie 2-3 on aggregate.