Cordova leads the way as Club America dominate Chivas in the Mexican Clasico Nacional
Club America dominated Chivas to a tune of 4-1, with a brace from their young midfielder Sebastian Cordova. The youngster shined this Saturday evening in the Azteca Stadium and also left Chivas ending the game with a nine-man team to finish the game.
America and Chivas played in the 235th edition of this always heated and entertaining rivalry known as El Clasico Nacional (National Derby).
Both teams came into this vital match with their struggles, Las Chivas currently in 15th place of the league standings, were looking to turn their season around and start on the right foot with newly appointed coach Luis Fernando Tena. Club America on the other hand, was trying to shake off a dry spell of 6 weeks without a win and were trying to get their footing and bounce back onto the top of the standings as they stood in the 7th position before the beginning of the match.
The game began, and it was clear who the dominant team was within the first 10 minutes of play, as Las Aguilas pressured up high and drew a couple of fouls on both sidelines with Renato Ibarra heading these plays.
In the 18th minute of play America, finally broke through as the youngster of the squad, Cordova was the one who gave the Aguilas the 1-0 lead after a botched free kick by Miguel Ponce left Chivas exposed. The counter-attack allowed for Roger Martino to set up Cordova to push the ball past Antonio Rodriguez.
Chivas played extremely week in the first half, and their lone play that created any real sense of danger was a shot from Van Ranking from outside the box that Guillermo Ochoa was able to get a fingertip on and push it over the crossbar.
In the 37th minute of play a hazardous and gruesome challenge by Antonio Briseño, left Giovani dos Santos rolling on the ground in agony as the Aguilas froward received Briseño’s cleats straight to his right thigh and created a gash that left many of the America players covering their faces as they saw the horrible wound. Briseño received an automatic red card, and dos Santos carted off the field and taken to the nearby hospital.
In the 45th minute, Las Aguilas extended their lead as Cordova received a beautiful through pass from Paul Aguilar that left Cordova inside the box and he sent a shot to the far post that went past the outstretched hand of Antonio Rodriguez for the 2-0 lead that America took into the half.
As the second half began the players of America looked as if they were still feeling the effects of Gio’s gruesome injury and looked sluggish out of the locker room, and Chivas took advantage and stepped up their pressure.
In the 74th minute, the referee awarded a penalty kick after a VAR revision. The ref that deemed the ball hit Ponce on his hand inside the box. During the argument with the referee, after he believed penalty, Chivas lost another player as Alan Cervantes was shown a direct red card as the referee said he was cursing towards him. Aguilera was the man in charge of taking the penalty and put it past Rodriguez for the 3-1 lead for Las Aguilas.
The final nail in the coffin against Chivas came in the 89th minute as Henry Martin, who was subbed in during the second half. He received a cross in between defenders inside the box and positioned himself for a side scissors kick that left Antonio Rodriguez stunned, and the ball traveled into the goal for the defining 4-1 victory at the Estadio Azteca.
America now moves up to 3rd place currently with 21 points and a few games left to play still in week 12 Liga Mx play. Chivas falls to 16th place in the standings and continues to lose points in the dangerous relegation table.
