Now, the Cup

CD Guadalajara is through to Copa Libertadores. After winning the finals on penalties, Chivas has reached Copa Libertadores directly and will advance to Group 6 of the tournament proper.

Atlas meanwhile came back from a 3-0 deficit only to crash out of the tournanement on penalties... lots of them.

Here's what the residents of Guadalajara awoke to this morning:


Chivas will make up Group 6 along with Lanus of Argentina, Everton of Chile and Caracas of Venezuela. San Luis will also participate in the tournament and will be in a group along with San Lorenzo of Argentina, Libertad of Paraguay and Universitario of Peru. Meanwhile, Pachuca, who beat Atlas, will play U de Chile in a play-in series.

Winners and losers

Chivas and America each had a chance to advance to Sunday's InterLiga final but only one wound up with a shot of reaching Copa Libertadores. Atlas spoiled America's party with a 4-1 win while Chivas routed a hapless Tigres side 4-2 and both Guadalajara clubs moved on.

Here's how the respective newspapers in Guadalajara and Mexico City saw it.

First, Mural featured the jubilant local sides:


Reforma followed with one simple word:

InterLiga highlights

Chivas and America each won by 3-1 scores and are each close to clinching a spot in Sunday's final.

For Chivas, Carlos Ochoa scored a pair of late goals as they beat Atlas in the Clasico Tapatio. Atlas looked very weak while Chivas showed signs that they'll be contenders. Ochoa, though, had several chances before his first goal that he should have put away.



America, meanwhile, also had their way with Tigres. Salvador Cabanas is a great player and was responsible for two of the goals. Still, he'd have been better off keeping his long hair.

Clasico highlights

It wasn't a Clasico for the ages but Chivas and America played to a thrilling 1-1 draw nonetheless on Saturday in Robertson Stadium. Jean Beausejour scored a goal for America and gave a hint of his skill and the potential he has in adding to America's attack. But Chivas got one back early in the second half off a set piece.

The game drew more than 30,000 to Robertson Stadium.

In case you missed it, here are the highlights.

First Clasico of 09

Chivas and America will renew their hostilities tonight in Houston in an InterLiga match.

The covers above are from Mural (in Guadalajara) and Reforma (in Mexico City). As an aside, I saw the Mural cover first and figured there would be lone America player gracing Reforma's cover but Carlos Ochoa showed up there as well. I wonder why the Mural people didn't include an America player and only showed the Chiva nacion member. Is it because there are more Chivas fans in Mexico City than there are America fans in Guadalajara? I wonder...

Anyway, the projected starting lineups are as follows:

Chivas: Michel; Ocampo, Reynoso, Mejia; Solis, Araujo, Baez,, Morales, Ponce; Ochoa, Medina.

America: Ochoa; Castillo, Ortiz, Valenzuela, Sanchez; Beausejour, Pardo, Vera, Chitiva; Cabanas, De Pinho.

"Panchito" Mendoza is slated to be on the bench for Chivas.

This will be the first time Chivas and America meet in InterLiga. They've played many, many times before but never in this scenario. They've actually met in Copa Libertadores before, in 98, and have played in the playoffs many times before as well, most recently in 2007. Expect a lively match tonight, probably the liveliest and most energetic game Robertson Stadium has ever seen.

InterLiga: a necessary evil?

InterLiga kicks off today with a doubleheader at Pizza Hut Park as Pachuca faces Tecos and Morelia battles Toluca. Saturday's doubleheader in Houston features the more glitzy matchup as Chivas and America square off after Atlas-Tigres.

Still, the tournament has been panned for years by both Mexican media, players and supporters alike. Guillermo Ochoa called the tournament "absurd" two years ago as America had played in the Mexican league playoffs, the FIFA Club World Cup and then InterLiga, in three different countries across two continents in a span of about six weeks.

It's taxing on players, the compaints are, and isn't necessarily the best way to determine Mexico's Copa Libertadores teams. It should be, critics say, the best or two best teams in Mexican league either based on records or championships or whatever.

InterLiga thus is regarded as a way to generate revenue and little else - that a Copa Libertadores berth is on the line is seemingly secondary.

Still, while the critics may have a point at some level, their criticisms fall short based on one major factor - attendance. Generally, these games are well attended. People will turn out in the cold Texas and California winters (okay, maybe they're not subzero temperatures but cold nevertheless) to watch their beloved Mexican teams play, and as long as that happens this tournament isn't going anywhere.

Mexican network Sky also uses this tournament as a way to grab viewers. InterLiga matches are broadcast exclusively on the pay channel in Mexico, and there is interest in these games back there as well.

With fans turning out in person and tuning in on television to watch this tournament, what motivation does the FMF have to find an alternative way to determine its Libertadores entrants? Why scrap the tournament at all?

And if there is criticism, particularly from fans, why go to the games? I wouldn't attend an event I consider second-rate and unnecessary, as a fan anyway. But when you spend money on a game or tournament, you are sending a message to organizers that you are in support of it.

So those who don't care for the tournament, who think this is a waste of time and energy and resources probably shouldn't tune in, unless they really do care about the tourney.

Clasico InterLiga

The schedule for next year's InterLiga was announced, and finally after five editions we'll get to see Chivas play America. Unless you're in Houston or will travel to the game, though, most of us will have to watch it on television.

Top two teams in each group advance to the finals, and the winners will go to Copa Libertadores. Because of their participation in the CONCACAF Champions League, Santos, Atlante, Cruz Azul and Pumas are not eligible to participate in this tournament. San Luis already has a spot secured in Copa Libertadores.

First, the groups and then the schedule.

Group A: Toluca, Tecos, Morelia, Pachuca
Group B: Tigres, Chivas, Atlas, America

Dates and venues:

Fri Jan 2 - Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas
Toluca-Morelia, Tecos-Pachuca

Sat Jan 3 - Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas
Tigres-Atlas, Chivas-America

Mon Jan 5 - Robertson Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Tecos-Morelia, Toluca-Pachuca

Tue Jan 6 – Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas
Tigres-America, Chivas-Atlas

Thu Jan 8 – Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
Morelia-Pachuca, Toluca-Tecos

Fri Jan 9 – Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
Atlas-America, Tigres-Chivas

Sunday Jan 11 - Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
Finals