As one of Mexico’s premier club teams, the Chivas of Guadalajara have proven themselves through the years to be one of the most formidable opponents in Liga MX. Locked in an eternal struggle with Club America for the hearts of Mexico’s soccer fans, Guadalajara is generally considered the symbol of working-class values and the common person, and that’s part of the reason why Euroamericas Sport Marketing Spain determined that the Chivas are Mexico’s most popular team—which Club America fans will surely dispute. Since they are the only team in the country whose players all hail from Mexico, many people view them as the nation’s team. Guadalajara has embraced their underdog status, despite having nearly as many titles as their close rival, and they are once again fighting for a CONCACAF Champions League title. Get your tickets right now to see Guadalajara take the pitch before the season comes to a close.
Founded in 1906 by Edgar Everaert, Guadalajara was first known as Club Union but later took on the name of their hometown in an effort to win over locals. Shortly after forming, their cross-town rival Club Atlas joined their league, beginning one of the longest-running rivalries in Mexican soccer. The 2 teams shared the same stadium for quite a while, which made the El Clásico Tapatío matchups between them increasingly tense. It was Club Atlas who gave Guadalajara the nickname “Chivas” (Goats) thanks to an opposing player complaining (after losing, of course) that Guadalajara played like jumpy goats. He dubbed them “Chivas Locas” (Crazy Goats), which was originally meant as an insult until fans accepted it and wore it as a badge of honor.
The team excelled during the early years of amateur play and continued when they joined the professional ranks of Liga Mayor (now known as Liga MX). In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, the team won 7 league championships, 3 CONCACAF titles, and seven Champion of Champions titles thanks to stellar play from the likes of Salvador "Chava" Reyes, Jaime "El Tubo" Gomez, Isidoro Lopez, and José Villegas. Following this massive success, the team fell on hard times and took on the ignominious nickname “Las Chivas Flacas” (The Lean Goats). Despite the downturn, the Chivas were never relegated to a lower division, which is quite remarkable. In the years that followed, the team added players like Oswaldo Sánchez, Ramon Morales, and Omar Bravo who helped Guadalajara regain its former luster.
This year’s team features fierce midfielders Rodolfo Pizarro and Chofis López who can score and play defense. Opposing squads also have to deal with the striking power of forward Alan Pulido. Whether you want to find tickets to see Guadalajara play against Club America in another epic El Súper Clásico clash or you want to catch them play in the CONCACAF Champions League, there are plenty of ticket options for all budgets.
