Chivas’ return from the international break resulted in a 2-0 triumph over Puebla at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc on Sunday evening for the thirteenth match date of the 2016 Apertura.
Matías Almeyda’s only major tweak to his starting 11 was the decision to have Marco Bueno start up front. Bueno made his impact later in the game, but it was the usual suspects getting the offense going for Chivas.
El Rebaño worked tirelessly in the first half and was rewarded in the 20th minute when Ángel Zaldívar was brought down in the box for a penalty. The 22-year-old decisively scored the penalty in order to give his side the 1-0 lead going into the half. The lead could have been doubled in the 24th minute when Zaldívar passed to an open Bueno, but Bueno put the shot wide of the far post.
Brizuela and Jesús Sánchez were not quite on the same page as they usually are, but Chivas wasn’t having many problems producing opportunities. On the defensive side of the ball, Carlos Salcido had one of his best games in recent memory: he made interceptions and cleared any threatening passes that went into his area. Rodolfo Cota also had one of his most solid games this season.
As the game wore on and Matías Alustiza was shown a red, Chivas dominated possession and the rest of the game. Bueno had a nice finish in the 50th minute to double the lead for Chivas thanks to a pass from Edwin Hernández. Hernández was all over the field producing quality passes and interceptions.
The victory keeps el Rebaño in contention for the Liguilla as they prepare for a Saturday night showdown against Pachuca at the Estadio Chivas on October 22nd.
Rodolfo Cota: 7.5
Hedgardo Marín: 7
Carlos Salcido: 7.5
Edwin Hernández: 7.5
Jesús Sánchez: 6.5
Orbelín Pineda: 7
Ángel Zaldívar: 8
Carlos Cisneros: 6.5
Isaác Brizuela: 6
Michael Pérez: 6.5
Marco Bueno: 7
Substitutes:
Carlos Peña: 6
José Vázquez: 6
Javier López: 6.5