General News

Chivas crash out in semis, Leon champions

The Guadalajara Chivas soccer team failed to reach the Liga MX final after losing by a single goal to eventual champions Leon in their second semi-final game.

The Chivas had tied the first game 1-1 at their home stadium on December 2, but went down 0-1 in the return leg in Leon four days later.

Leon took on the Pumas of Mexico City in the two-legged final December 10 in the capital and  December 13 in Leon. Pumas, who are owned and operated by the country’s largest public university, the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), had pulled off an amazing comeback victory in their semi-final against Mexico City rivals Cruz Azul.  No one gave them a chance after they lost 0-4 in the first game at the Azteca Stadium, but playing the return leg on their home turf (the 1968 Olympic Stadium), they overcame their opponents by the same score, 4-0, and advanced to the final thanks to their superior position in the regular season league table.

Leon, in Guanajuato state, won the Liga MX title thanks to a 2-0 victory over Pumas in their home game, after a 1-1 tie in the first leg of the final. Hundreds of fans took to the streets in the city to celebrate the title, prompting fears of mass Covid-19 spread.