América Wins the Clásico! Chivas Falters as The Eagles Revive
América displayed practical football in a match where they were dominated at times, defeating Chivas de Guadalajara 1-0 this Saturday in the Mexican football derby.
In the seventh round of the Apertura tournament, Ramón Juárez scored the winning goal, giving coach Andre Jardine's Eagles a victory that alleviates the team's situation. Despite the win, they remain outside the playoff zone, now sitting in twelfth place.
Guadalajara, under the guidance of Argentine strategist Fernando Gago, was superior in the first half but lacked precision, especially in the 12th minute, when rookie Armando González missed a golden opportunity with the goal wide open.
In the 31st minute, Henry Martín received a pass from Spaniard Álvaro Fidalgo, his shot hit the crossbar, and Juárez capitalized on the rebound, scoring with his left foot to make it 1-0.
In the second half, both teams neutralized each other, and Chivas squandered another chance when González missed yet another clear opportunity to score.
Chivas is now seventh, six points behind Toluca, who moved to the top of the table after thrashing Xolos de Tijuana 4-0 on Saturday. Toluca took the lead due to a better goal difference than Tigres UANL.
In a one-sided match, the 'Diablos' (Toluca) under Portuguese coach Ignacio Ambriz, won with goals from Marcel Ruiz, Jesús Angulo, Portuguese Paulinho, and an own goal by Rafael Fernández.
The seventh round began on Friday when Tigres UANL secured an epic 1-0 victory over Atlético de San Luis with a 98th-minute goal from Uruguayan Fernando Gorriarán.
Earlier, Puebla defeated Querétaro 2-1, Atlas beat Pachuca 2-0, and Juárez won 1-0 against Mazatlán.
Cruz Azul will visit León on Saturday, looking for a win or a draw to reclaim the top spot, while Monterrey will face Santos Laguna.
