Medina Wants To Right Chivas' Wrongs Against Atlas

El Clasico Tapatio is always an important fixture on the Mexican League calendar and even more in the Apertura 2009. Atlas and Chivas are in Group One, and Chivas only ahead of the host team by one point.

Neither team has secured a place into the Liguilla, Chivas is in third and Atlas in fourth place, but a victory would help the cause. For Chivas player Alberto ‘Venado’ Medina the game is about life or death.  

The last game between the stadium sharing teams ended in a last minute win for Atlas. That loss has been in Medina’s mind and he hopes to exact revenge.  

“The last Clasico was very painful for us because of how it turned out. I think that Chivas did thing better and in the end they scored a goal. We have that nagging reminder, and we hope to get rid of it by giving the fans a win,” said ‘Venado’.  

Under new manager Jose Luis Real, Chivas will try play an offensive game.  

“Of course we want to cause Atlas some damage. We strikers will try and do our work by being fast, forward up front. The defense and midfielders will try to offset their strikers.”

Chivas are two points behind second place San Luis. Atlas is in third place with 15 points. The competition is winding down, and anything other than a win would finish the teams’ dreams.  

“It’s a crucial game for us. A win would give us the much needed confidence and I think that we’d be close with Cruz Azul in the matter of winning, and we’d have a good chance to qualify for the Liguilla. A draw or a loss would leave us practically out. So in this game we play for everything or nothing. For this we gave to play for life or death; we have to win.”

Goals by Alberto Medina have helped Chivas to recent wins over Atlas. The player has been missing from recent first team action, but hopes to turn that absence around with a performance on Saturday.  

“I’ve been fortunate enough to score and I hope that God let’s me [on Saturday].I’m going to try to score a goal, or simply play a good game and I hope that Chivas wins.”

Andrea Martinez, Goal.com

For more coverage of the Mexican Apertura 2009 season, visit Goal.com's Mexico page.