'Tis the season...
Tag: Liga MX
Necaxa’s bus catches fire while taking players back to hotel
The Liga MX side had a frightening ride back to their hotel in.
Chivas win first Liga MX title in more than a decade
A title that proves a homegrown team can still succeed in a time of big-money foreign acquisitions
Though the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final ended 2–2, it seemed that reigning champions Tigres had taken control. Chivas jumped out to a 2–0 lead, but Andre-Pierre Gignac, the Frenchman who has been a dominant force in Liga MX, scored twice in the final 10 minutes to destroy their momentum.
Entering the second leg, Chivas, the only club in Mexico that exclusively fields Mexican players, had not won a Liga MX title since 2006. Before that, they hadn’t won since 1997. Before that, they hadn’t won since 1987. And before that, they hadn’t won since 1970, which ended a run of eight titles in a span of 13 years—Chivas’ golden age in a very different footballing world.
Now, facing the poster boy of foreign influence on Mexican football, the country’s most popular club faced what could have been another painful failure. Instead, Alan Pulido scored just 17 minutes into the second leg. Then Jose Vazquez added what would be a necessary insurance goal in the 70th minute, leading to what would be a 4–3 aggregate win for Chivas, sealing their 12th Liga MX title to match Club America for the most ever. And since Chivas had already won the Copa MX, it gave them just their second double in club history—the only other coming in 1970.
Much of the credit for this success goes to manager Matias Almeyda (though Chivas’ players must be Mexican, their managers can be Argentinian). After the match, he had his squad kneel down around the trophy and pray before celebrating.
It was an unusual sight, especially in a modern game where the only thing football clubs bow down to is money. But the gesture was a fitting one for a club that still adheres to old traditions that go against contemporary practices.
Of course, if the pattern of the last 47 years is anything to go by, Chivas supporters better enjoy this celebration, because it could be their last for a while.
Recorded my dad at the exact moment when the game was over this was #priceless. #truefan #VamosChivas @Chivas @ESPNFCtri https://t.co/BRpRjTdC8w
Andre-Pierre Gignac scores absurd equalizer in Liga MX final
You don’t need balance when you’re this good
Chivas were leading Tigres 2–0 in the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final, but then Andre-Pierre Gignac happened. He scored his first in the 85th minute, then, just three minutes later, he chased down a long pass that slipped through Chivas’ back line, hopped over the goalkeeper like Super Mario over a turtle shell, and lobbed a shot into the empty net at a tricky angle while falling backwards.
That made it 2–2, completely swinging the momentum to the Apertura 2016 champions going into the second leg.
Gignac now has nine goals from his last 15 shots. Not matches. Shots.
The man is unstoppable.
Raul Ruidiaz saves Morelia from relegation, claims playoff spot and scoring lead with one late goal
This is what you call “making the most of your shot”
When Monterrey scored an 86th-minute penalty to equalize against Morelia, all appeared to be lost for Los Canerios. Anything short of a win would’ve sealed their relegation (in Liga MX, the one club with the lowest points per game ratio over the previous three years is relegated). But then, at the start of injury time, Raul Ruidiaz poked in a winner that not only saved Morelia from relegation, but earned them a spot in the playoffs (at the expense of Club America) and put him atop the Clausura top scorers list.
Aquí está el GOL de Raúl Ruidiaz y con el que @FuerzaMonarca se mantiene en la #LIGABancomerMX ⚽ #SienteTuLiga ⚽ #LimpiemosNuestroMéxico https://t.co/5wvHAnMiKz
This was a rollercoaster of emotions on the verge of flying off the tracks into a fiery pit of despair until Ruidiaz climbed up to the front car, reaffixed the wheels to the track, and rode that sucker right to the ice cream tent.
As a result of his heroics, Chiapas get relegated instead, despite winning earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Miguel Herrera’s Tijuana finish atop the table for the second time in a row.
Tijuana becomes the first team since league switched to short tournaments to finish as the leader of consecutive tournaments. #LigaMXEng
Poor Chiapas.
Chivas’ Carlos Fierro performs sneak attack on goalkeeper to score late winner
Puebla’s goalkeeper may never live this one down
With Chivas and Puebla even at 2–2 late in added time, 22-year-old Chivas winger Carlos Fierro went into ninja stealth mode. He lurked behind Puebla goalkeeper Cristian Campestrini and as soon as Campestrini dropped the ball on the ground, Fierro pounced. He swiped the ball and had Campestrini crawling on his hands and knees after him like a toddler on a frozen lake.
Fierro scored with relative ease, giving Chivas a 3–2 win. This was his first goal of the season.
Campestrini, meanwhile, must now change his name, dye his hair and take up a new profession. One where he can keep his back to a wall at all times to ensure that no one can ever sneak up behind him again. This is how lifelong paranoias are born. He might even start wearing a helmet with rearview mirrors attached to it.
Liga MX officials go on strike after abuse from players
A red card for everyone
The Liga MX season has been halted after officials decided to go on strike over concerns for their own safety. The decision stems from two recent incidents in which players acted aggressively toward referees during Copa MX matches, which the Mexican Referees Association condemned through their official Twitter account while expressing support for the mistreated officials.
In one incident, Club America’s Pablo Aguilar headbutted a referee just after full time of a 1–0 loss to Tijuana.
In the other, Toluca’s Enrique Triverio shoved a referee who had just sent off two of his teammates, earning a red card of his own to put Toluca down to eight men before they ended up losing 3–0 to Morelia in a shootout (one of the players sent off was Toluca’s goalkeeper).
Liga MX suspended Aguilar 10 matches and Triverio eight, but this wasn’t enough to satisfy the match officials’ association. It’s unclear how long the officials will remain on strike, but a strong statement is being made with this act. They’re making it clear that they will not be bullied by players or taken for granted by the league. And if they’re still mistreated once they agree to return to the job, they should probably be allowed to carry pepper spray. That will definitely convince players to keep a safe distance.
UPDATE: Aguilar and Triverio’s suspensions have been dramatically extended to one full year each, presumably in an effort to get the referees back to work. This should do the trick.
Club America manager sent off for tripping Chivas player during Clasico Nacional
This is what happens when you go against your pre-match superstition
Club America manager Ricardo La Volpe is a firm believing that shaking hands with the opposing manager before a match will bring his team bad luck. “I’m afraid we’ll be cursed if I shake hands,” he said before facing Real Madrid in the Club World Cup back in December. And yet, he shook the hand of Chivas manager (and fellow Argentine) Matias Almeyda before Saturday’s Clasico Nacional.
But it turns out there might be something to this handshake curse business.
Chivas went to beat America 1–0 with a 30th-minute penalty. In the 52nd minute, America were reduced to 10 men when Miguel Samudio was sent off, so La Volpe decided to fill that void himself in the 75th minute by stopping Jesus Sanchez near the touchline.
La Volpe felt that the ball had gone out and a throw in was in order, so he stepped onto the pitch to prevent Sanchez from continuing his attack. And though he did get the ball first, tripping the player wasn’t something the referee approved of, so La Volpe was sent to the stands.
America lost, La Volpe is likely to face further repercussions (both for the result and his actions), and now I totally understand why he doesn’t shake hands before a match.
Camilo Sanvezzo suffers every contact lens wearer’s nightmare during Liga MX match
Just watching this is torture
Just after halftime in Queretaro’s match against Chivas on Saturday, Camilo Sanvezzo was forced to endure the thing that all contact lens wearers dread. Chivas defender Oswaldo Alanis accidentally knocked Sanvezzo’s lens out of his eye.
Remarkably, the Brazilian was able to find the fallen lens and he carefully attempted to replace it. But it wasn’t working. As the camera zoomed in on his face, anyone who has had a contact lens pop out at an inopportune time and place could feel the panic that surely took hold within him. With each passing second, that lens would get dryer, dirtier, and more difficult to salvage and replace.
As Sanvezzo struggled to get it to stay against his eye, teammates and opponents alike approached him to offer words of encouragement and perhaps offer to run back to the dressing room to get their own bottles of contact solution for him.
Despite this harrowing ordeal, Sanvezzo was able to play on and finish the match, but Queretaro lost 1–0. Maybe it’s time for Sanvezzo to invest in some Edgar Davids style sports glasses.
Liga MX match invaded by dog and cat, making it the greatest match of all time
What more could you possibly want?!
It’s always special when an animal invades a football match. For a brief moment, all the viciousness and invectives melt away as everyone comes together to coo over the unexpected presence of a creature that cares not for our silly human past-times.
A Liga MX match between Pachuca and Chiapas achieved one of these special moments in the 66th minute when a dog bolted up the pitch. Play was halted as the pup pranced around at its leisure before getting rudely taken away by a group of stewards who used a belt as a makeshift leash.
Normally, this would be all the animal action one could hope to see during a match. But then, in the 85th minute, a cat appeared. It just sat near the corner flag, as if to say “I am a cat and I am also here, but I do not have to run around to interrupt your stupid game like that equally stupid dog.”
The cat made a hasty escape when the referee approached it, but the job was done and, to my knowledge, this is now the first time a single match has been invaded by both a dog and a cat. And within a span of 20 minutes, no less! This, my friends, is an occasion that future generations will wish they were around to see.
After the match, which Pachuca won 1–0, the club tweeted a photo of the dog in their dressing room. We can only assume that the cat, meanwhile, took up residence in the owner’s box.
Here are the match highlights, including dog and cat moments:
