This Thursday is a difficult day for the Rojiblanca Nation, as one of the most representative legends in the history of Club Deportivo Guadalajara has passed away: José de Jesús Ponce Labastida, better known as 'Chuco' Ponce.
He was born in La Perla Tapatía in 1929 and joined Chivas in 1947, when he was only 17 years old. He was a great striker who, from his first days as a player, won over the fans of the Rebaño, thanks to his tremendous quality. He made his debut in the 1947-48 campaign and did so in a big way, scoring two goals against Atlante in his first professional match.
Ponce was part of that squad known as the 'Ya merito', which preceded the Campeonísimo. During his career he scored 40 goals and later, he became a coach and was part of Javier de la Torre's coaching staff. As if that were not enough, he also coached Guadalajara's First Team on 4 different occasions, in which he accumulated more than 100 matches and achieved an average effectiveness rate of 53 percent. In fact, 'Chuco' coached the Rebaño in the Mexican Cup won during the 1969-70 season.
From 1982 to 1992 he was in charge of the Rebaño's Basic Forces, where he managed to train and develop several young red-and-white players.
Chuco' Ponce will always be considered part of the Campeonísimo, as he was a forerunner and always remained closely linked to the team, contributing his grain of sand from any position that corresponded to him. He was, is and will be a reference in the history of Club Deportivo Guadalajara, as he showed the way for all those young players who seek to transcend in the history of Chivas.
Rest in peace, José de Jesús Ponce Labastida.
