In what could have been their last game at the Jalisco, CD Guadalajara defeated Libertad de Paraguay 3-0 in the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. Chivas had been eliminated from the local liguilla over the weekend, leaving them free to concentrate on the Americas’ most prestigious tournament. After losing 5 players to national team duty, it got tough for Chivas to keep up their hot start. In fact, they went ice cold and eventually reached absolute zero Saturday night after losing to Morelia.
But the Libertadores has been a different story. Jose Luis Real has decided to play with his kids, and they have responded. As has one Omar Bravo. He got a pair of goals a few weeks ago in Chivas’ 3-0 win over Velez Sarsfield and did it again last night. If Chivas survive the second the leg in Paraguay, the semi finals will not take place until after the World Cup. So they will have some of their National teamers back. The question is, will they play in the Jalisco, or in Chivas’ new Stadium?
Even though Chivas has a new home, it doesn’t mean the Jalisco will be abandoned. Atlas will still be disappointing their fans at the Jalisco for the foreseeable future. And one day, the U de G might jump back into the top flight. It would be a welcome sight. The Leones Negros have the second best unis in Mexican Futbol.
Tonight, the Mexican continues with the semifinals. In its predictable unpredictability, the liguilla lost 3 of the 4 top seeds in the quarters, including #1 Monterrey. That leaves 7 Morelia vs. 5 Santos and 8 Pachuca vs 3 Toluca. All signs point to a Toluca-Santos Final. Which, of course, means that Morelia will win it all.