The Clásico Nacional was completely one-sided, and Alan Mozo’s red card in the 46th minute only sealed Chivas’ fate.
América dominated the trilogy against Chivas, securing their spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals with a commanding 4-0 victory. This result reaffirmed América’s dominance over their historic rivals, highlighting the contrasting realities of both teams—América celebrating, while Chivas mourns.
América’s Bold Approach Pays Off
From the start, América’s coach André Jardine sent a clear message with an aggressive lineup. He opted for an unusual midfield duo of Jonathan dos Santos and Álvaro Fidalgo, while Diego Valdés, Alejandro Zendejas, Brian Rodríguez, and Henry Martín led the attack. It was a high-risk, high-reward strategy designed to overturn the aggregate deficit and push América to the next round, where they will now face Cruz Azul.
Meanwhile, Chivas coach Fernando Espinoza took a more cautious approach, focusing on defensive resilience. He packed the midfield with Luis Romo, Érick Gutiérrez, and Fernando Beltrán to disrupt América’s attacking flow.
How América Scored Its Goals
The tone was set early. América came out aggressive, hungry, and relentless. Chivas, on the other hand, sat deep, absorbing pressure—only to be punished almost immediately. After failing to score in 180 minutes in Guadalajara, América broke through just six minutes into the match.
Valdés played a precise through ball to Brian Rodríguez, who controlled it, set himself up, and fired a powerful left-footed strike past goalkeeper Óscar Rangel. Just like that, América erased Chivas’ aggregate advantage, forcing them out of their defensive shell.
Chivas responded cautiously, knowing that an away goal could still turn the tide in their favor. They advanced their lines, creating their first real chance in the 21st minute when Alan Pulido tested the keeper. Luis Romo followed up with a long-range shot that sailed over the bar. América, meanwhile, continued to threaten with shots that narrowly missed the target.
As halftime approached, a critical moment shifted the game even further in América’s favor. A long pass caught Chivas’ defense off guard, and Rodríguez, once again, made a decisive play. His cross was mishandled by Rangel, leaving Valdés with an easy tap-in to make it 2-0 on aggregate.
Mozo’s Red Card Seals Chivas’ Fate
At halftime, Chivas made a bold substitution, bringing on Yael Padilla in an attempt to be more aggressive. However, their hopes were crushed just minutes later when Alan Mozo received a second yellow card and was sent off, leaving Chivas with 10 men and an uphill battle.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández was then introduced, replacing an ineffective Pulido, but it was too little, too late. América continued to exploit Chivas’ defensive weaknesses, and in the 65th minute, Rodríguez turned provider once again. His assist set up Zendejas, who calmly slotted the ball home to make it 3-0.
The final blow came in the 78th minute when Fidalgo sealed the win with a clinical finish, putting Chivas out of their misery. América celebrated in front of their fans, while Chivas had no choice but to bow their heads in defeat.
Now, América turns its focus to another fierce rivalry—facing Cruz Azul in the quarterfinals, a high-stakes matchup that promises to be just as intense.