From the very beginning, both teams showed why they are considered title contenders while trying to find their footing and get ball control; however, it was Cruz Azul who managed to get ball possession and create dangerous chances to some extent.
The first dangerous chance was for Cruz Azul in minute 5 when Miguel Ponce displayed great defensive skills and cleared a dangerous cross. Then in the 12th minute, Chivas answered back with a deep pass for Antuna who crossed the ball but failed to find an open teammate, then ‘JJ’ shot but the ball was deflected. Then in the 15th minute, Angulo squeezed a fantastic ball to Antuna whose shot went above the crossbar and this was the best chance for Chivas in the first half.
As time passed by, Guadalajara players seemed a bit anxious as were caught several times offside while the game became very physical. In minute 26, Rodriguez unleashed a long-range shot saved perfectly by Raúl Gudiño. By the end of the first half, in the 37th minute, the referee awarded a PK for Cruz Azul after a foul on Rodríguez inside the box and it was Rodríguez himself who sent it home from the PK spot.
During the second half, Chivas pushed hard but Cruz Azul’s lockdown was a real challenge for ‘El Chiverío’. The first chance for Chivas arrived in the 52nd minute when Alexis Vega displayed a great solo run while dribbling past some defenders; nonetheless, his cross was blocked by a defender.
In the 61st minute, El Rebaño could have gotten the equalizer following a flashy combination by Miguel Ponce and Uriel Antuna who delivered a sexy ball to José Juan Macías but his shot went wide. Later on, in minute 70, another good chance for Guadalajara as Uriel Antuna fired a rocket shot from outside the box that went slightly open to the right.
In the 87th minute, Luis Romo could have increased Cruz Azul lead but his shot was a bit off target. During stoppage time, Chivas almost got the equalizer but Hiram Mier failed to shot the ball on an empty net, and in the next play Rodríguez put the game to rest as he dribbled past Gudiño and sent the ball into the back of the net.
Next Saturday 31st at 7:00 pm CT, Chivas will visit la #CapitalRojiblanca to face Pumas during Matchweek 16 of Guard1anes 2020.
Guadalajara 0-2 Cruz Azul
(Jonathan Rodríguez 41’ and 90’+2’)
Referee: Erik Yair Miranda
Estadio Akron
Lineups:
Guadalajara: 1. Raúl Gudiño; 17 Jesús Sánchez (10 Eduardo López 75’), 21 Hiram Mier, 3 Gilberto Sepúlveda, 16 Miguel Ponce, 5 Jesús Molina (20 Fernando Beltrán 61’), 11 Isaac Brizuela, 19 Jesús Angulo (6 Dieter Villalpando 61’), 15 Uriel Antuna (26 Cristian Calderón 86’), 7 Alexis Vega, 9 José Juan Macías.
Coach. Víctor Manuel Vucetich
Cruz Azul: 1 Jesús Corona; 24 Juan Escobar, 23 Pablo Aguilar, 4 Julio Domínguez, 16 Adrian Aldrete, 7 Luis Romo, 15 Ignacio Rivero, 31 Orbelín Pineda (25 Roberto Alvarado 79’), 19 Yoshimar Yotún, 9 Milton Caraglio (11 Elías Hernández 88’), 21 Jonathan Rodríguez.
Coach. Robert Dante Siboldi
