After winning their respective groups with unbeaten records, Sporting KC and Cruz Azul will collide in the quarterfinals of the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League in March. Ahead of the home-and-away match-up, SportingKC.com will be providing regular updates on La Máquina as part of the site's CCL Crash Course series. Want to know more about the tournament? Check out our 2013-14 CCL Guide.
Cruz Azul continued their strong start to the Clausura with a 2-0 win over Chivas de Guadalajara Saturday evening at Estadio Omnilife in Guadalajara, Mexico. With the win, La Maquina moved into sole possession of first place in LigaMX after five weeks of action.
Saturday’s match featured two of the three remaining unbeaten teams in the Mexican first division. Following Cruz Azul’s win and Toluca’s loss to Santos Laguna, Azul remain the only team without a loss in LigaMX.
Saturday was also Marco Fabian’s first match against his former club. The Mexican international striker scored 38 goals in more than 100 appearances for Chivas before Los Rojiblancos loaned the striker to Cruz Azul last December.
For the third consecutive match, Luis Fernando Tena’s squad struck first, grabbing a lead in the 49th minute through Mauro Formica. Mariano Pavone received a ball inside the Chivas penalty box and spun toward the end line. With a defender on his heels, Pavone chipped a cross to the far post. Formica stepped away from his mark and headed the ball between goalkeeper Jose Antonio Rodriguez and the near post to put Cruz Azul ahead.
The visitors wasted little time doubling their lead as Rogelio Chavez tallied his first goal of the season in the 52nd minute. From 40 yards out, Chavez played a dangerous, curling free kick toward the goal that landed at the six-yard box. Rodriguez took a step back toward his line but his last-gasp dive toward the far post proved unsuccessful as the ball skipped untouched into the net.
Cruz Azul has scored two or more goals in three games this season and has shut out their opponent four times. Goalkeeper Jesus Corona, who did not feature in Mexico’s 4-0 mid-week win over the Korea Republic, made three saves and improved his goals against average to a league-best 0.20.
Cruz Azul is off to their best start since the 2005 Clausura when they started off 5-0-0. La Maquina finished that season in second place in the standings and lost to Club America in the semifinals of the playoffs.
While Saturday’s match proved successful for Cruz Azul in the standings, it was not without a cost. Midfielder and captain Gerardo Torrado, who has featured more than 200 times for Cruz Azul and played in three World Cups for Mexico, fractured his fifth metatarsal in the 46th minute. There is currently no timetable for the veteran midfielder’s return.
Fernando Tena’s side will look to continue their strong form when they travel to Estadio Andres Quintana Roo to visit Atlante on Sunday. The host side has accumulated only five points through five matches in the Clausura.
