América and Guadalajara Chivas shared the points in a Liga MX Apertura match that finished 2-2 at Estadio Banorte on Sunday evening. The result keeps both sides in the top half, with Chivas holding onto second place on 18 points and América remaining third on 17.
And here's the thing about the first half — América went ahead when Bryan Gonzalez found the net in the 32nd minute, but then Miguel Vazquez turned it against his own side just before the break. Chivas went into the interval level, and to be fair, they had the better of the chances despite América controlling possession.
By then the game had settled into something more measured. América made three changes in quick succession — Alan Cervantes and Álex Zendejas came on together, followed by Gonzalez himself after 57 minutes. Chivas responded with Ricardo Marín and Raphael Veiga, trying to tighten things up in midfield.
The second half opened properly in the 71st minute when Miguel Borja scored for Chivas. And then, by then, the game had shifted entirely — he added a second in the 74th, and suddenly América were chasing the match. There were more substitutions after that, Santiago Sandoval, Richard Ledezma, and Daniel Aguirre all coming on, but the pattern was set.
The statistics tell a story that doesn't quite match the scoreline. América had 56 per cent possession and 95 attacks, but their shots accuracy sat at 24 per cent. Chivas managed just 44 per cent possession and fewer attacks, yet their shots accuracy was 56 per cent. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging — or in this case, were wasted.
What it means for the table is that Chivas extend their lead at the top to a single point, though América have a game in hand. The hosts had lost three of their last four league games before this, while Chivas are running out of games and still haven't found their rhythm. A draw feels like the right result, even if neither side looked particularly convincing.
