IZAZOV (CHALLENGE)

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” – Henry Ford.

San Luis and Guadalajara drew in a seemingly insipid match, conditioned early on by a double yellow card for Juan Manuel Sanabria.

The game started out well, both teams showing their intentions and arguments.

Chivas led by Alexis Vega, who unfortunately got a right knee injure on the second half, and Fernando Beltran took control of the game, dominating the pitch with high pressing, fast recouping and counter attacking. The first 15 minutes Club Guadalajara riddled Barrovero’s goal, hard pressed to keep his net clean.

It seemed that it would be just a matter of time before the scoreboard would reflect what was happening on the pitch. Then the double yellow for Sanabria. Y párale de contar. Game over.

For the next seventy-five minutes Atletico San Luis’ defense did everything it could to break up Guadalajara’s plays, including stiff legging the opposing players. After Sanabria was sent off, Atletico decided that the best strategy would be a destructive one and planted themselves well in their half of the pitch. Seventy-five minutes of unambitious football.

Jorge Valdano once mentioned, and I quote, “Jugar contra un equipo defensivo es como hacer el amor a un arból.” Chivas pushed and pulled, insistent on bringing back a W but were not able to place the ball in the net, 10 men within a 60 by 60 box can pretty much tear down any offensive strategy, leaving only a twisted travesty of the game that we see much too often.

On a positive note, there are many things we can take away. First of all, Chivas never stopped insisting, communication between lines solid. Defensively, Veljko’s back four kept the net clean for a second match in a row. Offensively, “apedreando el rancho” with over 15 shots but without the finesse required to beat an experienced defensive line. Plus, in the end we added a digit to our scorecard: 4/6 possible points never a bad thing.

In closing, the spectacle witnessed last Friday night will be repeated. It is true that there are teams focused on promoting an offensively minded, attractively played futbol. But the majority will show little ambition, strategically adding points here and there looking to at least place in the middle of the standings and from there seek to squeak into the playoffs.
In very basic terms that’s the truth of it. Now, it’s on Pauno to train the lads to use their skills to cut away at the branches and find a way through the trees.