Monterrey

1 Jonathan Orozco
26 Humberto Suazo
8 Luis E. Pérez
7 Octavio Valdez
4 Diego Martínez
34 Héctor Morales (Diego Ordaz 2T)
22 William Paredes
15 José Ma. Basanta
6 Gerardo Galindo (Juan Carlos Medina 55′)
10 Osvaldo Martínez
9 Alonso Sandoval (Abraham Carreño 70′)

DT Víctor M. Vucetich

Guadalajara

1 Luis Michel
17 Sergio Ponce
4 Héctor Reynoso
20 Édgar Mejía
3 Aarón Galindo
5 Patricio Araujo
11 Ramón Morales
13 Sergio Ávila (Marco Fabián 54′)
27 Carlos Ochoa (Gonzalo Pineda 78′)
10 Alberto Medina (Javier Hernández 65′)
18 Xavier Báez

It all started with the first 15 mins with attacks from Monterrey. Not too much from Chivas and I can’t recall anything significant occurring.

Then in the 16th we had a good free kick by Ramoncito that the Orozco sent over the bar.

The 19th was not a good minute for us. So far our problem has been our defense. They seem to fall apart at crucial moments and this was one of them. Goal scoring machine Humberto Suazo put one in our net to make it 1-0 to Monterrey.

Not far afterwords in the 22nd new boy(not really new but he’s getting more time in the first team) Xavi Báez shot one from outside of the area to put us on level terms. The ball had been going to Ochoa but it went out too far for him and landed on Baez’s feet and he took the opportunity.

Then in the 26th Aaron Galindo had a good header but it was stopped by the Monterrey goal keeper.

The most frustrating moment of the game came during the 31st min when Ochoa got the ball and was all alone up front. No defenders, just him against the goal keeper. Ochoa slightly rounded Orozco, but the keeper managed to get the ball away from Ochoa and prevented him from scoring a sure goal. Then he got a second chance when the ball rebounded off the keeper’s hands but he shot the ball up to the stands and missed twice. Nerves against his old team or just courtesy? Tell me Carlos because I would like to know what was going through your bald head.

Going into half time we were 1-1.

In the 49th Monterrey had a good chance to go up but the posts must have really liked us because the ball shot across the posts hitting them on the way. We were saved.

The 64th it seemed like we were fairly lucky because in a header Michel looked like he had missed as he knelt down but somehow the ball rebounded off his right arm and we stayed on level terms.

In the 75th Carlos Ochoa took the ball and gave it to Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez who scored as Orozco came out of his goal. We were 2-1 up.

The 90th+ min(s) proved to be real nail biters. Michel got his hand on a shot towards the low, low corner from a set play.

Then in the 91st Michel saved a header that narrowly missed going into the corner of the goal for a 2-2. Luckily, it didn’t, the game ended and we came out the victors with a score of 2-1.

Galindo has still some settling in to do with the current crop of defenders but he gave a decent game. Perhaps his performance was done because he just came back from injury. We’ll see.

My “That was bull, that was bull, we got screwed” moment this week goes again to Carlos Ochoa. No, I don’t have anything against him, but how could he miss that opportunity in the 31st min? He might have been nervous of coming up one on one, maybe he was nervous about scoring against his old team, but come on! You don’t play for them anymore.

In the Copa International Chivas Comex, Chivas crashed out on penalties to Monterrey. Luckily, the big boys didn’t mirror what the young ones went through. Monterrey are now in the finals as are fellow Guadalajara residents, Atlas, who also got to the finals on penalties beating English team Tottenham in the Semis.

Chivas will face Tottenham in the game for 3rd place. They’ll just have to settle with that this year, as their current reign as Champions ends.

Good luck to Atlas in their game as well on Sunday. Let’s keep the trophy in the ‘hood.

If you happen to be in the area of Guadalajara, you should definitely check out the games. There’s a whole crop of future stars roaming around. And if you’re a young, around 18ish female, you might even bag yourself a baller.

The next game for the senior team is on February 7th against Necaxa at home.

In other news Francisco Mendoza, the kid from Chivas USA is here to stay. He was presented today as part of the team. Aaron Galindo officially joined the team in Guadalajara after taking a few days out to sort out a few things with his old team Eintracht Frankfurt such as his living situation over there, etc.

Those are all the transfers for Chivas because the window is now closed for Mexican football.

Out
Sergio Santana
Antonio Olvera

In
Carlos Ochoa
Sergio Amaury Ponce
Francisco Mendoza
Aaron Galindo
Jared Borgetti
Technical Team: Omar Arellano Sr.

So what do you think of the business we’ve done?

According to Nestor De La Torre Galindo is tied to the squad for 4 years as a definitive deal.

Frankfurt wasn’t to keen to let him go as he has been quite a regular with the team for the past season and the amount paid for the player wasn’t disclosed by either party.

But of course, as in many situations in Mexican football, the famed “Gentlemen’s Agreement” was brought up. First we had to get Cruz Azul’s permission to receive the player after he left them in a dispute in 2006. In return for their permission we have let them have first dibs on Omar Bravo if and when he decides to return to Mexican football.

As a Chivas fan I’m happy that we’re getting more players to make the squad stronger, and this one has experience too, but as a El Tri fan I’m disappointed. The national team isn’t as strong as we hope it would be and it was expected that with more players(especially all of our defense) in Europe, we would be kick ass. Well, that hasn’t really happened as we’ve seen during the recent rounds of World Cup Qualifying, and the past Olympic qualifying and I believe that bringing players who have been doing well in the leagues over sea’s is just a set-back. If the situation like Pardo’s at Stuttgart’s had been presented by feelings would be a little different. Pardo is getting near to the end of his career and it made sense that he’d come back to finish with his old team, America. But Galindo is still young and had a while to triumph. Now, I feel like he’s digressed.

It’s too bad really because he could have gone to a bigger European league.

What’s done is done and I’d like to welcome Aaron Galindo to the Club Deportivo Guadalajara. Help us win trophies and show everyone what Chivas is all about(so no drugs ahem…)

Galindo is set to join us “physically” next week after he returns to Germany to take care of some of the personal issues back in his old home.