Puebla mount comeback to get controversial win over Chivas

Puebla came back from a 2-0 deficit to get a 3-2 win over Chivas. Chivas had a great first half, but Puebla came back in the second. There was a lot of controversy in Puebla’s second goal however, which also led to Chivas going down to 10 players, something that changed the dynamic of the match. Chivas will now travel for their mid week match against Atletico San Luis, while Puebla will return home to face struggling FC Juarez as they continue in first place.

The first half started with Chivas coming out with the striker partnership of Alexis Vega and Isaac Brizuela. An injury had Angel Zaldivar out, but instead of going with Jose Juan Macias, coach Michel Leaño decided to go with Brizuela while Macias went to the bench along with another forward in Paolo Yrizar. Chivas missed an incredible chance when Roberto Alvarado made a great play to get past Puebla goalkeeper Anthony Silva and make a cross to Jesus Ricardo Angulo, who headed the ball wide even where he had a wide open net. It was a bad miss after a great play by Alvarado. Puebla went on the defensive, looking for a counter while Chivas had more possession and chances. It was a very even match for the most part until Chivas broke through. Miguel Angel Ponce got past a defender a then got an incredible left footed shot from way outside of that area that got past Silva for the 1-0 lead. It was an incredible play from Ponce that took everybody by surprise and livened up the fans. After a long ball pass, Fernando Aristeguieta would not get to the ball before Chivas’ goalkeeper Raul Gudiño, who after the play got into a scuffle with Aristeguieta after he had been pushed to the ground by defender Luis Olivas. Chivas would make a great play to get their second goal. Roberto Alvarado made a great run from the left side and then made a pass where Angulo would make up for his bad miss, fooling everybody and leaving the ball for a wide open Alexis Vega, who had the time to get a left footed shot past Silva for the 2-0 lead. Chivas might not have been playing superb, but they did have two superb plays on both goals to get the lead. The halftime whistle blew, and Chivas took the advantage to halftime.

The second half started with neither team making any changes. Chivas had a good opportunity off of a counter, but Vega’s pass was wasted by Angulo, who stopped running after losing view of the ball in a bad mistake. It got worse when immediately Puebla sent a long ball, with Fernando Aristeguieta getting into the area hitting a great right footed shot past Gudiño to make it 2-1. Puebla was back into it after the mistake by Angulo. Puebla subbed out Pablo Parra for Kevin Ramirez. Chivas subbed out Fernando Beltran for Alan Torres. A longball into the area found Christian Calderon, but he took too long before the Puebla defense was able to get back and he fell in the area, but he only got a yellow card for diving. Brizuela got a shot from outside the area that went wide. Chivas kept attacking, but in an almost identical play of the one in the first half, Puebla score the second. A cross into the area found a wide open Jordi Cortizo, who scored with a right footed shot past Gudiño for the 2-2 equalizer. Chivas players claimed that there was a foul, and the referee gave red card to a Alexis Vega. The ref went to VAR to check if the play has started with a foul from Lucas Maia to Calderon, and judged it to be a goal and thus the 2-2 tie stood. Chivas now not only had the tie but was down to 10 players. Puebla subbed out Fernando Aristeguieta for Guillermo Martinez, while Chivas subbed out Jesus Ricardo Angulo and Christan Calderon for Jose Juan Macias and Gilberto Sepulveda. Then after a long ball into the area, Guillermo Martinez made a great right footed volley that went over Gudiño’s head for the 3-2 lead. Puebla subbed out Jordi Cortizo and Federico Mancuello for Angel Robles and George Corral. Chivas subbed out Isaac Brziuela and Miguel Angel Ponce for Paolo Yrizar and Sebastian Martinez. Sebas Martinez got a ball in the area and was able to get off a left footed shot, but it was saved by Silva. Puebla would came close to scoring off a counter when Ramirez got into the area and hit a shot that went past Gudiño, but just inches wide from the right post. Ramirez looked to have injured himself badly on the play and had to get medical attention. He would have to be carted off and it looked like it might be a major injury for Ramirez, and Puebla went down to 10 players as there were no more substitutions. Chivas then had a great chance when a cross into the area found Yrizar but from close range, and he sent his right footed shot well wide. Off a free kick, Yrizar got a close range header that forced Silva to make a great save, but he was also ruled to have been offside. Puebla answered with Martinez getting a one-on-one that forced Gudiño to make a great save, but he was also ruled to be offside. Chivas wouldn’t get another chance and Puebla got a great comeback, but in a controversial manner.

Puebla made a great effort to continue showing Mexico that they are for real, as they will continue in first place. Still it was in controversial, with the play from Cortizo’s goal looking like a foul and Chivas going down to 10 players, which virtually killed off the team. Referee Fernando Hernandez looked to have done a poor job, and Chivas’ fans can definitely feel to have been hurt by his bad job. Chivas will need to pick things quickly with a tough visit to San Luis, who will be helped by the boost from defeating Rayados in Monterrey earlier this Saturday. Puebla will have a great chance to continue to build on their nice level of play and being in 1st place when they return to Puebla to face FC Juarez.