|
|
Opening day defeat shows growing pains for Chivas, but positive signs for Atlante
There are still plenty of kinks to be worked out for a young, but talented Chivas side, which fell 1-0 at home to upstart Atlante on the opening weekend of the 2012 Clausura.
Jan 9, 2012 7:50:00 PM
By Nick Rosano
Chivas
The biggest story of the weekend, though, is almost certainly Chivas' 1-0 loss at home to a spirited Atlante side. It was a disappointing way to start the season for the team that finished first in the Apertura regular season, but also highlighted some of the team's apparent flaws, namely that this is still a very young team that has plenty to learn, especially when it comes to finishing.
"We have to continue working in front of goal, because we continue suffering from mistakes there," Chivas head coach Fernando Quirarte told reporters after the game. "In this match we had 10 shots and the majority were off target, so the boys know that we should continue sharpening up and correcting certain things, above all the goal that has eluded us and finishing the opportunities that we have."
However, it is clear from the post match reaction that this promising group is approaching the defeat and the season ahead in a humble way.
"Atlante came to play their match, they scored one goal on us and defended well. After, we could not find the goal to take control of the match and look for the win," said captain Hector Reynoso, who at 31 was one of only three players over the age of 25 on the field for Chivas.
Reynoso, who has spent all but six months of his professional career with Chivas and won a championship with the team in 2006, went on to admit that the team needed to shape up if it was to turn things around next week for its visit to Jaguares and called on his colleagues to change their attitudes.
"I believe [the loss] should hurt all of us players. we now have to bite the bullet, take responsibility and start thinking about the next match," Reynoso continued, talking to Chivas' website. "We know that it's the first game, the beginning, and we wanted to win, we couldn't, but now we have to adopt a different attitude and mentality."
Some of the younger players in the squad shared the view, though 18-year-old forward Erick Torres, who is expected to share some of the goalscoring burden in this tournament but had little luck on Saturday, thought there were positives to take from his team's performance.
"In general we had a good match," Torres explained. "We have to analyze it, we have to see how the match worked. They had an opportunity to score and took it, we have to see the plays that we had that didn't come together and continue working on that."
For Atlante, the win proved an initial justification for the team's various dealings over the winter transfer window. Five of the eight players Atlante acquired over the break made their debuts, including former Columbus Crew striker Andres Mendoza, who set up fellow debutante Michael Arroyo for the winning goal just before halftime.
The game also marked the debut for manager Mario Garcia at the helm of Atlante, and influential midfielder Osvaldo Martinez praised the effect of the new coach, who replaced Miguel Herrera after the latter's move to Club America.
"We know that Mario Garcia is a very good coach and obviously the confidence that he gives us is important for us and for oneself, and thank God the boys conducted themselves well from the beginning of the game. We were very focused, and now will try to take things step by step," the Paraguayan told mediotiempo.com.
The victory will provide hope for Atlante that it can continue to be a thorn in the sides of Mexico's more prestigious sides after a championship in 2007 and a CONCACAF Champions League victory in 2009.
For Chivas, it is clear that for all the young talent the squad possesses, there are still plenty of growing pains. This is not helped by the frequent speculation over the futures of players such as Torres, but last year's first place finish in the regular season (granted, it was followed by an early playoff elimination), indicates there is still plenty of quality in the squad.
Elsewhere on the opening weekend, Morelia and Tijuana kicked off the tournament with a hard-fought 1-1 draw, Monterrey did enough to overcome Jaguares 2-1, and America started the tournament on the right foot with a 2-0 win at Queretaro. Cruz Azul and Tigres battled to a 1-1 draw in the weekend's marquee matchup, Santos Laguna and Pachuca played to a 0-0 draw, as did Puebla and Atlas, while Toluca scored the biggest win of the weekend with a 3-1 victory over Estudiantes Tecos featuring a brace from Apertura top scorer Ivan Alonso.
Follow NICK ROSANO on 
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
6 Comments
Inside Goal.Com
-
RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai
Nicolas Anelka went against the grain when he moved to Shanghai. Now he's finding that coaching and gelling tactically is like swimming against the tide.
-
ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams
Chievo is currently shopping the American midfielder and several Italian clubs have shown interest.
-
ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite
Neymar was brilliant as Brazil easily handled the United States with early World Cup preparations officially underway.
-
LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth
With World Cup qualifying to begin in June, Mexico is using three U.S.-hosted friendlies to build squad depth.
-
McCARTHY: Harrisburg springs its wildest Open Cup upset to date
The City Islanders fought back from three goals down with nine minutes to play and won the game on penalty kicks in a stunning game on a wild night for the U.S. Open Cup.