Another chapter in one of the country’s most fervent soccer rivalries is set for Saturday, September 14 when the Guadalajara Chivas host Atlas at the Akron Stadium. 

With almost half the season completed, Atlas lie in 6th place in the 19-team Liga Mx standings – just four points behind leaders Queretero.  Chivas languish in 15th place with scant hopes of making the playoffs. Chivas also faces the unthinkable possibility of relegation from the Liga Mx top tier should results not improve, so a victory on Saturday is vital, coach Tomas Boy told reporters this week.

The “Clasico Tapatio,” as the game is referred to, almost always sells out quickly and tickets are rarely available at the gate. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Many bars and restaurants in Guadalajara and elsewhere in the state will screen the game.

Adding extra spice to Saturday’s game is a bet made between the presidents of the two clubs, Alejandro Irarragorri (Atlas)and Amaury Vergara (Chivas). At stake is an ambulance that the loosing president has promised to donate to the most needy municipality in Jalisco.