León stadium drama tops Liga MX headlines

Kraken to open its doors; ‘Clásico Tapatío’ in the offing

Sinaloa state officials granted permission to Mazatlán FC to open their stadium for Friday’s Liga MX match vs FC Juárez. It will be the first game in the Kraken with fans in attendance since the team moved to the Pacific coast city from Morelia over the summer. The club has been authorized to sell between 40% and 50% of capacity.

The Matchday 14 contest will also mark the first game in charge for new coach Tomás Boy who was named to replace Francisco Palencia, fired after the club’s 2-4-7 start to its first season in Liga MX.

Guadalajara derby on tap

The oldest “Clásico” in Liga MX will take place at Estadio Akron on Saturday night when the Chivas host Atlas. The rivalry dates back to 1916 and has featured 277 matches in all competitions (including “friendlies”).

Guadalajara has won the past four matches against their cross-town rivals and has won 56 of the 150 previous regular-season contests. Atlas has won 45 times and the other 49 matches ended in draws. Overall, the Chivas claim a 104-89 advantage (with 84 ties).

One thing both teams have in common is that they are each on their second coach. Atlas fired Rafa Puente, Jr., in early August after only three matches, while the Chivas sacked Luis Fernando Tena a few days earlier.

The visiting Zorros will enter Saturday’s contest with a 3-4-6 record though they are just 1 point out of a playoff spot. Atlas has struggled to find goals this season (only Necaxa has scored fewer than the Zorros’ 10), but they have not given up more than 1 goal since Aug. 31 (a 2-1 loss at León).

The Chivas are in 8th place but are arguably the biggest underachievers in Liga MX. The front office spent freely in December and January in hopes of ending their embarrassing playoff drought of 3½ years.

Management made it clear that its goal was a top 4 finish and a first-round playoff bye, but the offense has sputtered badly as the Chivas have been blanked 7 times in 13 matches.

Perhaps the chance to square off on the pitch against bitter rivals will spark a reaction and we’ll see a high-scoring game. One can hope.