Second-division Sinaloa eliminated Guadalajara in a Round of 16 Copa MX match when goalie Luis López blocked a Miguel Ponce penalty kick in the shootout.
Guadalajara’s splashy winter transfer activity was supposed to lead directly to hardware, but the Dorados of Sinaloa scuttled Chivas fans’ pipe dreams of a double on Tuesday night.
While Chivas general manager Ricardo Peláez – touted as Executive of the Year before the Clausura 2020 even started – prayed from a box seat in Sinaloa’s Estadio Banorte, the Dorados went a perfect 6-of-6 from the penalty spot before 20-year-old keeper Luis López rejected the Chivas’ sixth shot. Dejected Chivas players trudged off the field with the realization that one trophy chase was over less than one month into the new season.
The second leg of the Round of 16 Copa MX contest kicked off with the Dorados holding a 2-1 advantage after a shocking 2-1 win at Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron on Jan. 22.
New Chivas acquisition Cristian Calderón knotted up the elimination game in minute 24 with a nifty bicycle kick off a corner kick. No doubt, fans of “El Rebaño Sagrado” believed it was only a matter of time before the faucets opened. But Sinaloa was having none of that.
The ebb and flow of the match was riveting and the Dorados held their own, creating several scoring chances and forcing Chivas goalie Raúl Gudiño to display his athleticism.
Guadalajara was without top transfer J.J. Macías – a thigh injury has the prolific striker sidelined for two weeks – and the unique Copa MX rule mandating minutes for U-20 players meant coach Luis Fernando Tena was not fielding his top 11. Still, five of Peláez’s transfer studs were on the pitch at the opening whistle and four – Calderón, José Juan Vázquez, José Madueña and Uriel Antuna – played the entire match. Yet the Super Chivas could not find the winning goal.
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<p>The <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxO7YM0wX8s%22>second leg of the Round of 16 Copa MX contest</a> kicked off with the Dorados holding a 2-1 advantage after a shocking 2-1 win at Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron on Jan. 22.</p>
<p>New Chivas acquisition <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://fbref.com/en/players/8cefbfc1/Cristian-Calderon?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Cristian Calderón</a> knotted up the elimination game in minute 24 with <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9tRKT_n5RE%22>a nifty bicycle kick off a corner kick</a>. No doubt, fans of “El Rebaño Sagrado” believed it was only a matter of time before the faucets opened. But Sinaloa was having none of that.</p>
<p>The ebb and flow of the match was riveting and the Dorados held their own, creating several scoring chances and forcing Chivas goalie <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://fbref.com/en/players/2f061b36/Raul-Gudino?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Raúl Gudiño</a> to display his athleticism.</p>
<p>Guadalajara was without top transfer J.J. Macías – a thigh injury has the prolific striker sidelined for two weeks – and the unique Copa MX rule mandating minutes for U-20 players meant coach Luis Fernando Tena was not fielding his top 11. Still, five of Peláez’s transfer studs were on the pitch at the opening whistle and four – Calderón, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://fbref.com/en/players/35fd6633/Jose-Juan-Vazquez?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">José Juan Vázquez</a>, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://fbref.com/en/players/f8949b73/Jose-Maduena?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">José Madueña</a> and <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://fbref.com/en/players/a35f5848/Uriel-Antuna?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Uriel Antuna</a> – played the entire match. Yet the Super Chivas could not find the winning goal.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Unrealistic expectations </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_478359" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-478359" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1196432634.jpeg" alt="Slow start for Chivas has fans getting antsy" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1196432634.jpeg 3200w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1196432634-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Chivas fans expected their beloved team to race to a title this season after the club’s big spending spree during the winter transfer window. So far, the Chivas have not lived up to their outsized expectations (Photo by Refugio Ruiz/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>Give coach Tena and all-new ‘Rebaño Sagrado’ time to grow</h3>
<p>Overzealous Chivas fans started dreaming about hanging up championship banner No. 13 as each new signing by GM Peláez and owner Amaury Vergara was announced in December. You can’t blame them for being giddy, but you just figured reality would bite them in the ass in January.</p>
<p>The list of new Chivas is more than impressive striker J.J. Macías, 20, left back Cristian Calderón, 22, and winger Uriel Antuna, 22, are likely to be stalwarts with El Tri for the next two World Cup cycles. Those three alone merit excitement among fans, but Peláez recruited five other players.</p>
<p>Veteran midfield bulldog José Juan Vázquez returned to the club as did young striker <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://fbref.com/en/players/e526c193/Ronaldo-Cisneros?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ronaldo Cisneros</a>, 23, midfielder <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://fbref.com/en/players/c219b86b/Jesus-Angulo?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jesús Angulo</a>, 22, defender Alexis Peña, 24, and veteran right back José Madueña.</p>
<p>Chatter on social media went straight to hyperbole, setting up the team – and coach Luis Fernando Tena – for a quick fall. And after a 1-2- start to the Clausura 2020 and the Copa elimination at the hands of a second-division club, the rabble is already mustering for a #FueraTena campaign.</p>
<p>The Chivas were a mediocre 7-4-7 last season, winning four of their final five games after Tena took over in midseason. In essence, Peláez undertook a complete roster overhaul that should result in five new starters.</p>
<p>Any time a team remakes their roster so comprehensively, growing pains will ensue. Tena has had very little time to incorporate his new players into his tactical schemes as preseason was little more than two weeks. The learning curve for younger players is typically longer, so it should come as no surprise that the team has not immediately turned into a juggernaut. Some fans obviously think this is nothing more than plug-and-play. That’s nonsense!</p>
<p>Besides “Gallito” Vázquez and Madueña, the newest Chivas must still be considered prospects (with promising futures, to be sure). They’ll need time to adapt to new faces, new tactics, new coach, as well as the pressure of playing with Mexico’s most popular team. Former L.A. Galaxy star Antuna also must adjust to a whole new league.</p>
<p>These concerns come on top of the fact that the ninth big acquisition – midfield dynamo <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://fbref.com/en/players/67dfb898/Victor-Guzman?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Víctor Guzmán</a> – was <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/01/29/super-chivas-stumble-suffer-stunning-exit-copa/"https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/universal-deportes/futbol/liga-mx-ausencia-de-victor-guzman-primer-duro-golpe-chivas">forced off the roster after a failed drugs test</a> was revealed. “El Pocho” was expected to line up alongside Javier “La Chofis” López and spark the Chivas attack.</p>
<p>The maturation process requires patience. Labeling this unproven squad the Super Chivas was a disservice. Let’s hope long-suffering Chivas fans allow Tena and the all-new “Rebaño Sagrado” (“Sacred Flock”) to find themselves before tossing the noose over the nearest tree.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">