Santos cruise past Chivas in Liga MX
Chivas suffered a 0-3 disappointing loss against Santos Laguna in the first round of the Apertura 2019. Tomas Boy, Guadalajara head coach, is unable to turn his team around since he arrived and shows no sign of improvement.
After coming from a 3-0 defeat again Benfica in the International Champions Cup, this was Boy’s opportunity to increase his squad’s confidence with a win but unfortunately, that did not occur.
During the first half, there was no clear domination with possession of the ball as both sides struggled to find the right balance when attacking and defending. It wasn’t until Santos Laguna started taking long-distance shots to create any sort of opening.
In the 40th minute, Brian Lozano took a free kick about 40 yards out, where Antonio “Toño” Rodriguez played the villain of the game for the 1-0. He miscalculated the curve of the ball as he was moving to his left side, the ball moved to the center of the goal and could not save it.
Lozano handed an assist in the 48th minute of the second half, he took freekick into the penalty area. Matheus Doria, with no defensive pressure around him, rose in the air to connect with a header for the second goal of the game.
Tomas Boy’s made adjustments to his formation with substitutions, to improve his team’s effectiveness. Unfortunately, his team continued to struggle from midfield to defense but found no direction.
Oribe Peralta made his first Liga MX appearance in the 63rd minute as Chivas’ newest addition. Peralta, former America, and Santos player entered the field with applause from fans who remember him as an important player during 2010-2014.
Los Laguneros kept attacking an unmotivated Guadalajara with many failed attempts on goal. In the 78th minute, Hugo Rodriguez easily took on his defensive marker and sent a cross to Julio Furch to the last goal of the game. Furch was able to withstand Oswaldo Alanis inside the penalty area, where Furch used his right foot with a light touch to put the ball near the right post and into the net.
Santos Laguna hosts FC Juarez next Sunday at Estadio Corona, while Guadalajara flies to Texas to face Atletico Madrid in the International Champions Cup.
