Chivas Champions Of InterLiga 2009.

By: Andrea | January 12th, 2009

So yup. We’re Champions which means we’re going straight into the Copa Libertadores. Sit back and enjoy because it’s going to be a great year. Unless we get struck down with America’s disease(we all know what happened to them after they won…knock on wood).

Guadalajara

1 Luis Michel
17 Sergio Amaury Ponce
33 Mario de Luna (Marco Fabián 64′)
4 Héctor Reynoso
20 Édgar Mejía (Javier Hernández 74′)
5 Patricio Araujo
18 Xavier Báez
13 Sergio Ávila (Gonzalo Pineda 69′)
11 Ramón Morales
10 Alberto Medina
27 Carlos Ochoa
DT Efraín Flores

Morelia

23 Moises Muñoz
3 Alberto Lucio
7 Marvin Cabrera
26 Mauricio Romero
13 Fernando Salazar
16 Adrián Aldrete
27 Omar Trujillo
5 Wilson Tiago
11 Hugo Droguett
18 Andrés Mendoza (Miguel Sabah 83′)
77 Elías Hernández (Oscar Rojas ‘72)
DT Luis Fernando Tena

Friday we played against Tigres and won 4-2. Which is how we arrived to one of the semi finals against Monarcas of Morelia.

The game was full of scares, I’ll admit. In the 14th Reynoso passed back to Michel who was caught off his line. Luckily Araujo ran back and saved from the line.

Immediately we went in a counter attack in the 16th with Ochoa’s ball going with Ramoncito who fired close.

By the 20th, I was getting nervous because Morelia was attacking a lot and it seemed like a goal was soon to come from them.

Medina was also having a really good game and his runs were causing trouble on the other side of the field.

In the 30th we had a chance when new boy Amaury Ponce passed to Medina who fired wide.

On to the second half.

In the 52nd Ochoa was itching to score and he was alone on a header but it was too weak

Then in the 53rd Venado had an excellent shot but the Morelia keeper got a hand on it to keep it from going inside.

De Luna was looking good in the defense which brings up the question: What are we going to do with Magallon, Reynoso, Galindo, and De Luna when they’re all healthy?

In the 57th Ochoa scored…for the wrong team. In a corner he was indecisive and that led to a goal by Morelia. We were 1-0 down. Droguett celebrated it like his own goal(fair enough, it looked like an olympic goal) but it wasn’t. It was an own goal.

The 61st a Morelia player came up to Michel and had a one on one but luckily Reynoso ran back and saved the ball from going in for another sure goal.

In the 65th, seconds after coming on Fabian scored from outside the area to put us on level terms. This kid is on fire and the goal was simply amazing. 1-1.

Then it was all over and we were going to penalties. Despite being up a man for 25 mins Chivas failed to take advantage of this fact and decided to go to this.

First up was Carlos Ochoa. He calmly tucked it into the right. He was why we were here tonight anyways. His own goal.
For Morelia Tiago came up first smiling and looking like he was having a good time. For him the good time ended seconds later when he misfired his shot high into space.

Our number two was Fabian who cane up and hit it with all his might. Munoz got a hand on it but the shot had too much pace.
The Cabrera came up and converted his penalty for Morelia and had Michel going the wrong way.

Then Reynoso came up and I was nervous. He proved me wrong as he put the ball into the very tippy top right corner.
Rojas then came up against Michel and made it 3-2. Michel guessed right but the shot was too fast.

Pineda stepped up and made the ball go into the top of the goal with much speed. We were a step closer.
Golden ball Droguett then stepped up and Michel started to play mind games. He came without his gloves and carefully put them on and took some more time loosening up. Apparently, these rituals worked because Droguett had his shot stopped by Michel, giving us the Mexico #2 place in the Copa Libertadores.

The game ended 1-1(5-3). We ended up Champions of the InterLiga ahead of Pachuca and $1million richer(prize money).

This tournament was good for us. We’ve clearly seen that the team has jelled well together and the new boys(Ochoa and Ponce) have integrated well into he team. We still have to see about Galindo but he should be good since he knows how the Mexican football league is.

Our next game is against re-runners-up Cruz Azul on January 17th at home for the start of the Clausura 2009.

Now…we need to start grooming a youngster to take Ramoncito’s place permanently because he disappeared for large portions of the game. This is understandable…he’s getting older(33).