Chivas de Guadalajara

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Guadalajara

Full name

Club Deportivo
Guadalajara S.A. de C.V.

Nickname(s)

Chivas, Rebaño Sagrado

Founded

1906

Ground

Jalisco,
Guadalajara, Jalisco

Capacity

72,480

Chairman

Jorge Vergara

Head Coach

José de la Torre

League

Primera División de México

Clausura 2006

Semifinals, 3rd





Home colours





Away colours

Club Deportivo Guadalajara, also known as Guadalajara and usually referred to by its nickname Chivas (goats), is a Mexican sports club. While the club is active in basketball, tennis, and cycling, it is most widely known for their professional football club. Guadalajara is the only soccer team in Mexico's history that only has Mexican players representing its colors. It has players that are pure Mexican that were born in Mexico. It was also the first team to obtain 10 League Championships. Chivas holds the record of winning two (1987 and Verano 1997) in less than 50 tournaments (since 1970).

Guadalajara play in the Primera División de México and is one of the most popular teams in that league. The club has millions of fans not only in Mexico, but around the world. Along with América they are the most successful club in Mexican football history, both with 10 League Championships. Of course many people say Guadalajara is the best in Mexico and according to many statistics it is. Their main rivals are América, and CF Atlas in their city, also a world wide supported club, and their meetings signal the national derby (similar to Boca Juniors-River Plate, Real Madrid-Barcelona, Internazional-Milan or Celtic-Rangers). The team's popularity in the U.S. has led to the creation of a Major League Soccer expansion club in the United States, Chivas USA which has players from Mexico plus the United States.

1 Honors
2 History
3 Stadium
4 Copa Libertadores 2005
5 The loss of the big 6 during Clausura 2006
6 Copa Libertadores 2006
7 Current squad
- 7.1 Squad changes for Apertura 2006 season
8 External links

[edit] Honors

Amateur League Championships: 13
- 1908-09, 1909-10, 1910-11, 1911-12, 1916-17, 1921-22, 1922-23, 1923-24, 1924-25, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30, 1932-33, 1934-35
League Championships: 10
- 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1987, Verano '97
CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 1
- 1962
Cup Titles: 2
- 1963, 1970

[edit] History

The team was founded in 1906 by a Belgian shopkeeper, Edgar Everaert, as Club Unión, but became Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A. de C.V. in 1908. The kit was modelled on that of the founder's favourite team, the Belgian Brugge, which has since changed its kit.

The club was successful in the amateur era of football in Mexico, but it was at the beginning of the professional era that it would get its famous nickname. In 1948 after winning a game, the newspaper column derisively said that the goat (chivas in Spanish) had won; this name, which started as an insult, was embraced by the fans and is held with pride to this day. The insult was meant to say that the team ran around like goats. After winning their first title, the Cardinal of Guadalajara held a mass in their honor and gave the team his blessing. Some considered changing the nickname from chivas to cardenales (cardinals). But this was a short lived attempt. Instead, the team was dubbed "El Rebaño Sagrado" (The Sacred Flock) by the fans.

In 1956, the "Campeonísimo" run started. The team won seven national league titles and, combined with national and international cups, a total of 28 trophies in eight years, and became the backbone of the Mexico national football team that would go to the World Cup. Many of the players of those days became legendary.

In the decade of the '70s, a Dark Age of sorts came to the club, and fans had to wait until the '82-'83 season to return to a Final, in which they were defeated. In 1983-84 the Final was lost again, this time, to the best team of the decade and archrival America. Finally in 1986-87 came the ninth title. The fans claim another championship, as they have only win it two times since the 80´s. Two Championships in 25 years. Although they have been creating very good players, as Salcido, Bravo and Medina, much is expected in the next tournament.

In the beginning of the '90s, the club was plagued by financial problems and a group known as "Promotora Guadalajara" took charge, improving the finances and bringing fresh air to the organisation. The league calendar was changed to two tournaments per year. During that decade, the team lost another three Finals but won the Torneo de Verano (summer championship) in 1997, bringing its league championships to 10, the most of any team in Mexico along with their hated rivals, América. Their last Final was in the Clausura 2004, where they lost against U.N.A.M. in a penalty shootout. People say Guadalajara win, tie, lose playing like champions.

The team is perhaps best known for the fact that they have only ever fielded Mexican players (Bilbao in Spain are the only clubs in the world to follow a similar policy), and their fans even think the team itself is almost a synonym of what it means to be Mexican.Since they only let Mexican players in the team,they can't buy or trade players who weren't born in Mexico,however that doesn't mean the coach has to be Mexican.

The day after the team successfully eliminated Boca Juniors from the Copa Libertadores, Guadalajara's controversial owner Jorge Vergara displayed a full-page advertisement on Argentina's most widely circulated newspaper, El Clarín, which had a goat (Spanish chiva) with the following statement: "¡No contaban con nuestra astucia!" (You weren't counting on our cleverness!), a popular Mexican phrase made famous by comedian Chespirito in his El Chapulin Colorado character.

The rest of 2005 was a year to be forgotten for fans of the club. Jorge Vergara shocked everyone by firing Benjamin Galindo, who was the coachbut always of the team during their successful run in the Copa Libertadores. The team hired Xabier Azcargorta, a relatively known Spanish coach unfamiliar with the Mexican football. The results were disastrous and continued that way all through the Apertura 2005 tournament. Jorge Vergara fired him as soon as the tournament ended. General opinion does not credit Azkargorta himself for the bad results. In preparation for the Clausura 2006 tournament and their hundredth year, Guadalajara have brought back their former coach, Hans Westerhof. However, Westerhof was fired and his assistant, José Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre, was hired to fill Westerhof's term.

[edit] Stadium

Estadio Jalisco is Guadalajara's home stadium which is shared with Atlas. Estadio Jalisco was constructed on January 31 1960. It was host for 8 games in the 1970 fifa world cup, 6 were group stage matches and two were quarter and semi finals. The stadium was host for 9 games in the 1986 fifa world cup, 6 were group stage matches, 1 was round of sixteen and the last 2 were quarter and semi finals. They have begun construction on a new stadium in Guadalajara, which will be named Estadio Chivas.

[edit] Copa Libertadores 2005

On 14 June 2005 Guadalajara stunned Argentina after eliminating Argentine superpower Boca Juniors in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. In the first leg, Guadalajara won the game played at home with a resounding 4-0. In the second leg, Boca were desperately on the attack seeking to bridge the gap quickly to no avail, as they could not penetrate the organized Mexican defense. After 79 minutes of play the game had to be stopped by the referee due to a quarrel from Argentine side and the rage of the Boca fans who wouldn't let the game continue, launching various projectiles in the direction of the Guadalajara players and coaches. By that time Jorge Benítez was coach of the Boca Juniors team. He was fired after spitting on Bofo's face when he was heading to the dressing rooms. After the man was known in Mexico as "Cochino Benítez (Piggy Benítez). His shameful image was seen all around the world. Guadalajara goalie Jesús Corona gave a historic performance, stopping every shot made by Boca. The game finished in a 0-0 tie and Guadalajara advanced to the semifinals without half of their roster, who were in Germany at the time playing for the Mexican National Team in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. With the team mostly made up of bench players, Guadalajara were unable to field a competitive side in the semifinals and lost to Paranaense from Brazil.

[edit] The loss of the big 6 during Clausura 2006

Early in the month of April, Mexico national football team coach Ricardo Lavolpe, announced the list of 26 (in the end, there would be 23) players that disputed the 2006 FIFA World Cup, held in Germany. Among those players were:

The players were called up for training right when the team needed them most. With the Clausura 2006 playoffs approaching fast, the team suffered rough losses and went three straight games without a single score. Many younger players, like Araujo and Esparza, were given a chance to play more minutes.

[edit] Copa Libertadores 2006

On January 31st, 2006, Guadalajara defeated Colo Colo from Chile in a home and away game playing to qualify for the Copa Libertatores. On Wednesday, April 5th, 2006, the Chivas stunned São Paulo of Brazil, champion of the World Cup of Clubs, defeating them in their own home 2-1, having defeated them in the last game at home Estadio Jalisco by the same score. A 0-0 draw with Cienciano of Peru, caused them to slip to second in their group. Chivas advanced, and took on Independiente Santa Fe of Colombia. Chivas, without the 6 players, defeated the Colombians 3 goals to 0 on the away leg of the tie (two match, home and away series). As the series moved to Colombia, Independiente gave them a scare away at the Estadio Jalisco, 3-1. In the end, the aggregate score was 4-3 in favor of Chivas. Next, they advanced to the quarterfinals to take on Vélez Sársfield of Argentina. In the semifinals, the Chivas went on to a 2-1 victory, in the vuelta of the tie on July 20th with goals by Adolfo Bautista who was named man of the match and a penalty goal from the spot by Ramon Morales. They faced Sao Paulo and lost the tie, and finished as a semifinalist, the same as the prior year's tournament.