LIGA MX
Who is Yael Padilla, the Chivas debutant whose goal earned win over León?
Soon after coming on for his first-team bow, teenager Padilla hit the winning goal in Chivas Guadalajara’s Apertura 2023 victory over Club León.
Seventeen-year-old Yael Padilla enjoyed a dream debut for Chivas Guadalajara on Monday, scoring the winner as the Rebaño Sagrado beat Club León on the opening matchday of Mexico’s Apertura 2023 tournament.
Brought on with just over a quarter of an hour remaining at the Estadio León, Padilla secured a 2-1 triumph for the visitors with an 81st-minute strike.
Having peeled off into space on the right, the forward met Víctor Guzmán’s pass with a low finish from inside the penalty box, beating León goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota from an acute angle.
Earlier, Antonio Briseño had given Chivas the lead midway through the first half, before Alfonso Alvarado equalised for the hosts just four minutes later.
Chivas begin with road win again
The Apertura 2023 is the second straight Liga MX tournament in which Chivas have kicked off their campaign with an away win. In the Clausura 2023, the 12-time Mexican champions began with a 1-0 triumph at Monterrey.
The Guadalajarans, who were runners-up in the Clausura, now host Atlético San Luis on matchday two of the Apertura on Saturday.
Who is Yael Padilla?
Born in Guadalajara in 2005, Padilla doesn’t turn 18 until December.
The teenager, who joined Chivas’ youth set-up in 2018, was recently given his first game time for the club’s under-20s in Mexico’s under-20s league, appearing for the team in the Clausura 2023.
Padilla has also been playing for the under-17s, his stellar performances for the youth side persuading senior boss Veljko Paunovic to bring him into the first-team fold.