Chivas rescue last minute 2-2 tie against Queretaro

Chivas had to wait until the last minute of the game to grab a 2-2 tie at Queretaro. Queretaro had been the better team and looked to continue their strong streak at home, but for the second consecutive home game they let go of a win in the final minutes. Chivas will now travel for the first time in history to Mazatlan, while Queretaro will have a tough trip to newly hot team Monterrey.

The first half started with Gilberto Sepulveda starting for the injured Hiram Mier, while Queretaro had Omar Mendoza starting instead of the suspended Luis Antonio Valencia. After a couple of even minutes, it looked like Jose Juan Macias had scored but he was ruled to have been offside. After a couple more even minutes, Queretaro started to get more possession of the ball as Chivas started to sit back. Chivas came close off a corner kick, but Antonio Briseño’s header went wide. Queretaro came close to scoring when Kevin Ramirez got a ball in the area and his deflected shot went just wide. Then after a bad mistake from Chivas, Hugo Silveira was able to get a right footed shot past Raul Gudiño for the 1-0 lead for the home side. Kevin Ramirez had done a bad job of lowering the ball, but defender Alejandro Mayorga tried to leave with the ball instead of clearing it and lost the ball right into the path of Silveira, who open the scoring with another goal off a terrible defensive mistake from Chivas.

Chivas tried to respond in a similar play with Queretaro clearing the ball right into the path of Jesus Molina, but his shot went wide. Then in a great play, Alexis Vega made a good run and got a pass into the area where Jose Juan Macias backheeled the ball into the net after it deflected off defender Martin Rea, going past Queretaro’s goalkeeper Gerardo Ruiz to make it 1-1. It was a great goal at the right moment as the halftime whistle blew for halftime.

The second half started with Chivas subbing out Jesus Molina for Isaac Brizuela. Queretaro had an opportunity when after a long range shot, Gudiño surprisingly dropped the ball and gave it away to Queretaro but Chivas’ defense was able to clear the ball. Later Fernando Madrigal got off a left footed shot, but Gudiño was able to easily save it. Queretaro came close off a free kick when a header by Rea went wide. Gudiño almost gifted a goal when he failed to hold on to a cross and sent it to a Queretaro attacker, but his shot was deflected by Jesus Sanchez. Chivas subbed out Alexis Vega and Jesus Ricardo Angulo for Cesar Huerta and Fernando Beltran. Later they would sub out Alejandro Mayorga for Miguel Angel Ponce. Then off a free kick, a great cross by Madrigal was headed by Kevin Ramirez and it went over Gudiño for the 2-1 lead. It was a great header that took advantage of Gudiño’s nervousness.

Chivas responded immediately by subbing out Jesus Sanchez for Christian Calderon. Calderon responded by almost immediately getting into a fight and getting yellow carded. Queretaro subbed out both goal scorers, Kevin Ramirez and Hugo Silveira, for Francisco Da Costa and Jose Gurrola. Minutes later they would sub out Angel Sepulveda and Fernando Madrigal for Jefferson Montero and Javier Ibarra. Chivas needed a goal, and yet had no plan off attack and Queretaro was easily controlling the match. Just as it looked like there was no hope, off a corner kick, Chivas found the tie. The Beltran corner kick found Briseño, who headed the ball right into the path of Miguel Angel Ponce, who then headed it past Ruiz for the 2-2. With two injury time goals, Chivas had rescued a tie from Queretaro.

Queretaro has been having a Jekyll & Hyde season, as they sit undefeated at home but have lost all their away matches. Against Chivas they were the better team and looked to be comfortably getting a victory, but a defending mistake gave Chivas the tie. This is the second straight game they lost a lead in injury time, as in their last home game they gave away a penalty kick against Puebla in the 92nd minute that settled that game in a 1-1 tie. They will now not be favored at all to end their away game losing streak as they face a Monterrey team that just crushed FC Juarez 6-1. Chivas meanwhile gets the result, but the level of play left a lot to be desired. Once again Coach Victor Manuel Vucetich looked to have no offensive plan and the tie was a total surprise of a result after Chivas had failed to create much of anything after losing their lead. They will now travel to Mazatlan for the first time to face Mazatlan FC, and they must improve a lot if they want their first win in the Sinaloa city.