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Liga MX Week 3: Guadalajara teams down in dumps

By Thomas Buckley

The Chivas are winless and goalless. (Photo by Refugio Ruiz/Getty Images)
The Chivas are winless and goalless. (Photo by Refugio Ruiz/Getty Images) /
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Liga MX Chivas-Atlas
Liga MX’s Atlas coach Rafael Puente, Jr. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /

Fickle Chivas fans curse team’s bad luck as Atlas ponders change

It’s only Week 3 in Liga MX but the Guadalajara soccer world is already in crisis mode. The Chivas – touted as a title contender – are the lone Liga MX team without a goal while crosstown rivals Atlas are on the verge of a coaching change after only two games.

At least “El Rebaño Sagrado” has an excuse. The Chivas have been ravaged by Covid-19 and a couple of injuries.

Guadalajara’s impotence in front of net is easy to understand since four of the team’s top five forwards are missing in action. Alexis Vega, Ronaldo Cisneros and Oribe Peralta are out after positive coronavirus tests while Angel Zaldívar came up lame in practice last week and missed the Santos match.

Playmaker Eduardo “Chofis” López is also hobbled though his effectiveness was already hampered by lack of fitness, a recurring problem for the enigmatic fan favorite. Winger Uriel Antuna saw a few minutes of action against Santos after recovering from the virus but he needs time to recover his stamina.

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Midfield wizard Fernando Beltrán and left back Miguel Ponce are also in Covid quarantine. Even coach Luis Fernando Tena missed the season opener after a positive test.

With three games in nine days coming up, Guadalajara GM Ricardo Peláez has to wonder if he has any leeway to stabilize his roster.

Meanwhile across town, the Zorros are in complete disarray. After an 0-0-2 start that has the “Rojinegros” in last place alongside Necaxa, Atlas players released a video urging management to keep coach Rafa Puente, Jr.

The hard-luck manager has been given a reprieve of sorts. He can keep his job if Atlas defeats Atlético de San Luis on Sunday, but that is not likely the final ultimatum he’ll be given as the Zorros did not look terribly competitive against the Pumas Monday night.

It didn’t help that the star for UNAM was Juan Ignacio Dinenno who Puente famously dissed while coaching Lobos BUAP in 2018. The Lobos were looking for a striker and Dinenno was presented as an option. Puente responded: “An Argentine playing in Ecuador! No thanks!” Puente was fired before that season ended and then lasted less than a year with Querétaro, getting a pink slip after losing to Lobos BUAP.

And now, Atlas has lost 7 of its last 8 under Puente who took over for Leandro Cufre who was fired in January … after a Week 3 loss in the Clausura 2020.

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