Ongoing Chivas drama tops midweek Liga MX headlines

Contrite carousers lighter in wallets, invited back to first team

The Chivas have experienced a series of discipline problems so it’s no big leap to wonder if it is causing strife in the locker room. With star striker J.J. Macías balancing a move to Europe against the chance to chase a trophy in Guadalajara, it is not alarmist to worry that he might prefer fleeing a dysfunctional situation.

Coach Víctor Manuel Vucetich – who, upon taking the job on Aug. 13, had pleaded with Macías to stay in Mexico until December – had only been in command eight days when the latest episode became public.

Star forwards Alexis Vega and Uriel Antuna decided it was OK to party up to celebrate the latter’s 23rd birthday. Vega posted images of their revelry to social media and all hell broke loose.

Chivas GM Ricardo Peláez immediately suspended the dynamic duo and told them to expect a hefty fine. Vega and Antuna missed Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Toluca and were sent to train with the club’s Under-20 squad.

After the video went viral, condemnation came swiftly. Veterans and talking heads spoke about the pair’s lack of professionalism, and lack of commitment to their teammates and their craft. Others framed it as blatant disrespect for the Chivas’ glorious reputation, a smudge in their illustrious badge.

On Tuesday, captain Jesús Molina – joined by veterans Oribe Peralta and Hiram Mier – approached management and begged that the culprits be forgiven, arguing that they had learned their lesson.

Unbeknownst to the team leaders, Vega and Antuna had already been called on the carpet. They expressed remorse and contrition in an emotional meeting with the Chivas braintrust. The malefactors were scolded sternly, advised of the hefty fine being imposed, told they would remain suspended for the time being and warned that no further transgressions would be tolerated.

So when Molina et al met with Peláez and other team officials, the skipper pleaded for his mates’ return to the first team. Molina even allowed that he was partly to blame since, as captain, he should have made sure everybody understood the importance of team rules, especially coronavirus-related protocols.

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Management decided to allow Vega and Antuna to return to training, but will let Vucetich determine when they will return to the game-day roster.

Lest you think the front office folded in the face of player pressure, the fine is evidently remaining in place. One report suggests they were each stripped of half their wages for the remainder of the season.

It would be no surprise if Vega and Antuna face additional fallout. National team coach Gerardo Martino is a strict disciplinarian and some wags predict the two youngsters will be left off the El Tri roster for upcoming games in September and October.

If they didn’t realize they were jeopardizing their careers with their heedless display of debauchery last week, they sure do now.

Did other wayward Chivas get the message?

This recent incident is actually the second for Antuna who only joined Guadalajara ahead of the Clausura 2020 after bursting into Mexican soccer fans’ consciousness with a star turn for El Tri at the 2019 Copa América while featuring for the L.A. Galaxy.

The Durango native was suspended by the Chivas for a game in February for “conduct unbecoming of a Guadalajara player” after photos were published in a “sentimental” magazine. The snaps showed him canoodling at a nightclub with a woman not his wife.

That same week in late February saw another scandal in Chivas camp. Left back Christian “Chicote” Calderón was suspended for a game after video evidence revealed he had attended a concert on a Sunday night. The problem? That big bash took place the night after Guadalajara lost its second match in a row amidst a 5-game winless streak.

Another starlet – Eduardo “Chofis” López – has also strayed outside the training guidelines. Early in the offseason, as teams and Liga MX HQ were establishing ground rules and health protocols in order to start up the league again, “Chofis” was spotted at least twice breaking quarantine and ignoring social distancing guidelines (without a mask, too).

The photos provided additional fuel to those who criticize the pudgy playmaker for his inability to keep off weight and maintain game fitness over the course of a season. This season has been no different. “Chofis” is not currently in shape to play 90 minutes and he has been put on a strict training regimen in hopes that he’ll be able to contribute down the stretch of the Guardianes 2020.

These several adventures have increased the spotlight on Peláez’s spending spree after taking over the Chivas GM job in December. He splashed out for nine up-and-coming players, including four future El Tri stars (Macías, Antuna, “Chicote” and Jesús Angulo)

However, the new Goats are not living up to their price tag. The beloved franchise is trying to end an unprecedented six-season playoff drought and Peláez breezed into Verde Valle promising to deliver hardware. So the GM is feeling the pressure.

When the Clausura 2020 was canceled in March, Guadalajara was in playoff position with seven games remaining. Pride was returning to “El Rebaño Sagrado,” and the faithful were beginning to trust again only to see the rest of the season scuttled.

But the Chivas stumbled out of the gate in the Guardianes 2020. The club has managed only 4 goals in six games, getting blanked four times in recording a 2-1-3 start. It is the worst start for the club since the Clausura 2012. Back then, they opened 0-1-5 with three shut-out losses while scoring only 2 goals (and allowing 10).

Just like this season, the 2012 Chivas fired their coach after only three games, replacing Fernando Quirarte with Ignacio Ambriz (now the León head man). That Guadalajara team finished in 15th place, 12 points out of a playoff spot.

This time around, Fernando Tena was axed after three scoreless games, only the second time in Chivas history that has happened. The only other time the Chivas failed to score in the first three games of a season was 57 years ago.

However, that Guadalajara club went on to claim the Liga MX title, earning their sixth league trophy after that 1963-64 season, the first of back-to-back titles (they won it all again in 1964-65).

Back in the present, Vucetich took the reins from Marcelo Michel for Matchday 5 after Michel served as interim coach in a 2-1 Weekday 4 victory, a win that ended the club’s scoreless start to the season.

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“King Midas” won his debut as “Top Shepherd” but momentum was scuttled by the Vega/Antuna scandal. The next episode of the “Rebaño Sagrado” soap opera will find the Chivas hosting Pachuca at Estadio Akron on Saturday night. Chivas Nation hopes the drama is resolved quickly because the Tigres are on deck on Matchday 8.

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