Posted by Mexico will be paralyzed on Sunday night, as another edition of the Clásico Nacional is played between América and Chivas. Here is an introduction to the rivalry for the uninitiated:
What Makes This Rivalry Special?
The importance of the Clásico Nacional, or National Classic, is given away by its name. Chivas and América are Mexico’s two most historic and best supported clubs. Furthermore, they are the most iconic clubs in Mexico’s two most important cities, with América representing the bustling capital of Mexico City and Chivas doing the same for Guadalajara.
América and Chivas also have an intense sporting rivalry. They are the two most successful teams in the history of Mexican soccer, with 12 league titles each. Both teams are expected to always be challenging for trophies, no matter how strong or weak their squads may be. This expectation, coupled with the huge fan bases that both clubs possess, makes playing for or coaching one of these teams extremely challenging.
The strong ideological differences between the two clubs further intensifies the rivalry. Chivas are the only club in Mexico to play exclusively with Mexican-born players, a policy that they have maintained since their founding in 1906. América, on the other hand, are known for bringing in expensive foreign talents with the financial backing of their owner Televisa.
Best Team
Chivas: Campeonísimo
Before 1956, Chivas had not won a league title. However, the assembly of an enviable array of talent, including forward Salvador “Chava” Reyes and center-back Guillermo “el Tigre” Sepulveda, quickly put an end to that drought. Chivas won their first league title in the 1956-57 season, and went on to win six more before the end of the 1964-65 season. During that time, the club also won 6 Mexican Supercups, 1 Mexican Cup and 1 CONCACAF Champions League, making this the most successful generation in Guadalajara’s history.
América: Mario Carrillo’s América (2005)
Although he is now prohibited from coaching in Mexico under the Pacto de Caballeros, Mario Carrillo can always look back fondly on the exploits of his América side in 2005. Under Carrillo, América lost only one match in the Clausura 2005, on the way to setting a regular season points record with 43. They continued their devastating form in the liguilla. After beating local rivals Cruz Azul 6-2 on aggregate in the semifinals, they destroyed Tecos 6-3 in the second leg of the final to lift the Clausura 2005 trophy. Even though Carrillo would depart following the Apertura 2005 after América were eliminated in the quarterfinals, his side went 28 league matches without defeat between the Clausura 2005 and the Apertura 2005, setting a record in the process.
Best Match: América 3-3 Chivas (Clausura 2005)
In the same season where América lost only once and went on to win the league title, they were pushed to the limit in the Clásico Nacional. After América midfielder Pavel Pardo opened the scoring with a stinging shot from distance, Azulcremas forward Kleber hit the post when through on goal, as América threatened to run away with the match early on. They eventually extended their lead, going up 2-0 through Óscar Rojas. Chivas then found a lifeline just before the end of the first half, as Héctor Reynoso let fly from 40 yards out, surprising keeper Guillermo Ochoa with one of the best goals ever seen in a Clásico Nacional.
The entertainment continued in the second half, as former Cruz Azul forward Francisco “Paco” Palencia tied the match for Chivas, heading in from a Ramón Morales delivery. América took what looked to be a definitive 3-2 lead when Claudio López raced ahead of the Chivas defense to smash past Oswaldo Sánchez. However, Palencia was to have the last word, flicking home at the near post with the outside of his right foot to tie the match at three. Chivas were not done though, and nearly found a winner at the death. Ochoa denied Palencia his hat trick, coming back the other way on his line to palm away a back post header with his right hand. After such a pulsating encounter, a point for both sides was the right outcome.
Best Player
América: Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Considered to be one of Mexico’s greatest ever players, “Temo” produced his best club form over four spells with América. Blanco scored 153 times for América in 397 matches, making him the club’s second all-time leading scorer. Beyond his impressive statistics, Blanco delighted fans with his trickery, epitomized by his creation of the “cuauhtemiña”. Surprisingly for a player of his talents, Blanco won only one league title with América, which came in the Clausura 2005, as he played a starring role in Mario Carrillo’s all-conquering side.
Chivas: Salvador Reyes
The emblem of Chivas’ Campeonísimo generation, Salvador “Chava” Reyes had a strong connection to the club from a young age. Reyes served as a ball boy for Chivas from age 7, and went on to debut with the first team in 1952 at the age of 16. Reyes would play for Chivas another 281 times between 1952 and 1967. In the process, “Chava” scored 122 goals, making him the club’s all-time leading scorer until he was eclipsed by Omar Bravo in 2015. Reyes was also an integral member of three Mexico World Cup squads, playing every match at the 1958, 1962 and 1966 World Cups.
Recent History
Fans should expect a close match on Sunday between these two sides. In their last 10 meetings, only one game has resulted in more than a one-goal victory for either side, with Chivas winning 3-0 at the Estadio Azteca in round 7 of the 2016 Apertura. Over that period, Chivas has won two matches, while América has won three. Although Chivas knocked América out of the Copa MX Apertura 2016 at the semifinal stage, the most important recent matches in the rivalry have gone in América’s favor. Las Águilas knocked Chivas out at the quarterfinal stage of the Clausura 2016 liguilla and the Apertura 2016 liguilla, with both ties finishing 2-1 on aggregate. The most recent result between these eternal rivals was a 1-1 draw at Chivas’ Estadio Akron in round 10 of the Clausura 2018.
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