Chivas and Tigres book their ticket to the postseason after disappointing draw

Chivas and Tigres officially booked their tickets to the Repechaje after a scoreless draw in Guadalajara. It had been an exciting first half, especially for the home team, but it lead to a disappointing second half that doomed the game to end 0-0. Both teams failed to get things going offensively, and thus might leave a lot of doubts in their fans’ eyes as they prepare to get to the Liguilla, where both teams will have to play their matches in the repechaje as away games.

The first half started with Chivas coming out with their usual lineup including the trio of Uriel Antuna, Jose Juan Macias and Alexis Vega. Tigres came out with a different lineup with Jordan Sierra taking the place of the suspended Rafael Carioca, Leonardo Fernandez coming in for the injured Javier Aquino, and Julian Quiñones for the injured Luis Quiñones. Chivas came close to having a chance early when Antuna got the ball in the area, but he failed to control the ball. Later they had one when Jesus Ricardo Angulo got the ball in the area, but he lost the ball and it fell to Macias, whose shot was deflected by Tigres’ goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman. Tigres finally had an opportunity with a free kick from Leonardo Fernandez that came close, but it just went wide. Chivas had a great opportunity when the ball fell past Guzman and to Antuna, who then made a bad cross into the area to a wide open Macias, who barely got a head to it before it went well wide missing the open net. Tigres responded with a great opportunity that forced Gilberto Sepulveda to make a great clearance. After a good play by Macias in the area with ended with him falling after a clash with Diego Reyes, it looked like there might be a chance for a VAR call but it wasn’t given. Later off a great shot by Angulo forced Guzman to make a great save in which he looked to have gotten injured, forcing play to be stopped although he remained in the match. Then in a great combination play with Macias and Angulo ended with a great pass to Isaac Brizuela, who got off a shot and forced Guzman to make a save. In the ensuing corner kick, Brizuela would get a great volley that Guzman also made a good stop on. Tigres responded with a great free kick from Andre-Pierre Gignac that forced Chivas’ keeper Jose Antonio Rodriguez to make a good stop on. Chivas had a great opportunity when a good combination play between Vega and Macias ended with the latter getting a good volley shot that Guzman saved. Tigres then had the best opportunity when Fernandez made a great cross that Gignac volleyed to make a great shot that hit the post. Even though Chivas had been the better team in the first half, Tigres came the closest to scoring with that shot before the halftime whistle blew for a scoreless first half.

The second half started with Tigres subbing out Jordan Sierra for Juan Purata and Chivas making the strange substitution of Jesus Ricardo Angulo for Eduardo Torres. Still Chivas had an opportunity early with a shot by Macias that forced Guzman to make another save. Tigres subbed out Leonardo Fernandez for Filberto Fulgencio. For the first time in the game Tigres started to get control of the possession, with the Torres substitution not paying off in the first minutes. Chivas responded by subbing out Jesus Molina, Jose Juan Macias, and Uriel Antuna for Sergio Flores, Angel Zaldivar, and Fernando Beltran. Minutes later they subbed out Alexis Vega for Christian Calderon in another strange substitution. Minutes later Calderon tried to do a shot from his own half but Guzman was able to easily handle the ball, unlike in the matches against Atletico San Luis and Pachuca. Later Calderon got to the area but his shot went wide. Tigres once again got a great opportunity when Quiñones got to a rebound from Gignac in the area, getting a left footed shot that hit the post. Tigres then subbed out the injured Erick Avalos for Francisco Venegas. Beltran got into the area and got off a left footed shot that went wide. That would be the last chance, and the game finished in a scoreless draw.

Chivas had a good start to the game and were the better side in a very good first half, but the subbing out of Angulo doomed their match. Apparently the substitution was for an injury but Coach Victor Manuel Vucetich subbed in a very defensive player in Torres which ended Chivas offensive spark from the first half. Tigres meanwhile had another strange performance in which they were the inferior side and yet had the two clearest opportunities, hitting the post twice. Both teams came in from wins against their respective city rivals (Atlas for Chivas and Monterrey for Tigres) and thus the decrease in their level of play will lead the fans worried about their chances in the playoffs. In only getting a point they also guarantee that whoever rival they face in the Repechaje, they will have to play the game away from their home. Both teams will have to wait until Sunday to see who will they face next week in their repechaje one game playoff matches.