Chivas come back to grab important win against FC Juarez

Chivas came back from trailing 1-0 and later going down to 10 players to get a 3-1 away win against FC Juarez. In a match that was supposed to be played on Saturday but was postponed because of snow, Chivas took advantage of some spirited late game play to get past a Juarez team that left a sour taste on their home fans after not having been able to get the win, even while having an extra player. Chivas will now return home to face an important match against Tigres, while FC Juarez will have no activity as their away match against Monterrey was postponed because of Monterrey’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup in UAE.

The first half started with Chivas giving Roberto Alvarado the start, as well as going in with a striker partnership with Alexis Vega and Jesus Ricardo Angulo, who took the place of Angel Zaldivar. Zaldivar didn’t make the trip to Ciudad Juarez for unknown reasons. They would combine to have the first opportunity when Angulo found Vega, who got a great right footed shot that forced a great save from Juarez’s goalkeeper Hugo Gonzalez. Juarez came back and after a great cross into the area, Fernando Arce, Jr. got a close range header past Chivas’ goalkeeper Raul Gudiño, but it was called offside. Replays showed that he was onside and after going to VAR, the referee reversed the call and gave it to Juarez for the 1-0 lead. Chivas had played well but were already trailing after the first serious attack from the home team. Chivas tried to come back and controlled possession, but Juarez did well in controlling their attacks. After a cross into the area, Miguel Angel Ponce was able to lower the ball and get past his defender, but Gonzalez made a great play and he was able to deflect Ponce’s shot by making a great save. After a play in the middle of the field, Gilberto Sepulveda was judged to have elbowed a Juarez player and he got a yellow card because of his foul. Juarez made a push in the final minutes and had more possession, but they weren’t able to create any chances. Then against the run of play, Carlos Cisneros tried to make a cross into the area but Juarez’s defender Alejandro Arribas deflected the ball past Gonzalez for the 1-1 equalizer. It was an unlucky play in which Arribas deflected a ball that was going wide as a cross and Gonzalez had also made a mistake by trying to get to it, and thus was caught out of position by the deflection. Juarez came close to scoring off a corner kick when Arribas got a wide open header, but the ball went just wide. It was the last chance as the game went to halftime with the score tied.

The second half started with neither team making changes. Chivas looked to have a good opportunity when Isaac Brizuela was able to head the ball in the area, but Juarez’ defense was able to clear the ball just moments before Ponce could get a close range shot. Then after a harsh foul on Flavio Santos, Sepulveda got his second yellow card and Chivas went down to 10 players. Replays showed that not only was it justified, but that it should have been a straight red card. Chivas was now in trouble away from home. Juarez subbed out Matias Garcia and Flavio Santos for Francisco Contreras and Carlos Rosel. Juarez looked to have a good chance when Gabriel Fernandez got into the area, but the ball went too far and he ended up falling but no penalty kick was given, correctly so. Juarez subbed out Ventura Alvarado for Alberto Acosta, as Juarez tried to get something out of having one more player on the field than Chivas. Chivas then subbed out Sergio Flores for Antonio Briseño. Then after a great pass from Alvarado, Alexis Vega started a run, made a good play that totally fooled Arce, and then got a great right footed shot past Gonzalez for the 2-1 lead for Chivas. It was a great play against the run of play, and one that had Chivas on top even when they were down a player. Juarez tried to respond and came close when a cross into the area was just missed by two players. Chivas subbed out Isaac Brizuela for Jesus Molina. Then after another mistake by Arce, Alexis Vega was able to win the ball and then make a pass into the area that Arribas slid and deflected past Gonzalez. The ball fell right into the path of Jesus Ricardo Angulo, who got a right footed shot into the empty net for the 3-1 lead for the visitors. Arce had opened the scoring but had made two terrible mistakes in the last minutes which gave Chivas the victory. Chivas subbed out Luis Olivas, Alexis Vega, and Jesus Ricardo Angulo for Hiram Mier, Ronaldo Cisneros, and Alan Torres. Chivas held on to get a very important away win, while Juarez wasted a great opportunity.

After first trailing and then going down a player, Chivas got a great victory away against Juarez. It could be a season changing result, as Chivas gets a huge momentum spike from never getting dominated even when down to 10 players, getting a just victory. On the other hand, Juarez gets a terrible result in easily their worst game of the season. They were never able to control the match, even being at home and with one extra player. There were key defensive mistakes that gave Chivas the win, but even them Juarez never came close to making that extra player count, They will now have an extra week off as they wait for Monterrey to return from their disastrous tournament in the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup while Chivas will have a tough match at home against an improving Tigres.