Saturday night's game between Chivas and America was a fairly close one, despite the majority of fans predicting that it would be one-sided in favor of Chivas. The game started at a rapid pace and America almost took the lead with two clear opportunities before the 20-minute mark. But 10 minutes later, referee Luis Enrique Santander called a penalty in favor of Chivas that Angel Zaldivar would convert in to a goal making the final result 1-0 for Chivas.
The Good: As of late, Chivas has been a team to possess the ball incredibly well and create a lot of chances. Chivas ended the game with 63% possession and 13 total shots. Rodolfo Pizarro was playing freely in the midfield and shifting wide left when the team would attack. Although their strikers are still struggling to finish the opportunities created, Matias Almeyda isn't worried because he knows the goals will come sooner rather than later.
The Bad: America. Sure, they were missing key players like Edson Alvarez (currently playing with Mexico's U-20 squad) and newly acquired Cecilio Dominguez (shoulder injury), but they still looked lost. The long ball wasn't working and they couldn't connect two consecutive passes to save their lives. Ricardo La Volpe is in serious turmoil heading in to next weekend's crucial match-up against Cruz Azul.
The Ugly: Speaking of Ricardo La Volpe, he stirred controversy once again. His frustration showed when he stepped on to the pitch and tackled Chivas' right-back, Jesus Sanchez. Arguably one of the most bizarre events to ever happen in a Clasico Nacional ended in a sending-off for La Volpe.
The Ugly; Part-Two: Chivas TV. Chivas fans living in Mexico weren't very pleased to hear that their team's games wouldn't air on Televisa anymore and they would have to pay for an online streaming service to watch them play. Connection problems were immediate and until this day, they haven't been fixed. Last night's stream was a complete disaster and it wasn't a surprise. The concept and the idea isn't bad, but Chivas took a dive head first in to deep waters and it was obvious that they weren't ready to stream such a huge game live on the internet.
It's no secret that the arch-rivals' current situations are polar opposite. Chivas sits pretty in second place with 14 points while America is sinking in the table with only seven points in 14th place. America is facing tough times and to make matters worse, they face Cruz Azul next Saturday who are also in desperate need of a win. While America struggles, Chivas looks to have made a strong case in the title run.
Is Chivas a serious title contender? Can America reverse their current situation?
Let me know what you think. Follow me on Twitter: @PerezTBE