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FIFA: A Champions' Mexican Chivas return to CONCACAF Club Tournament & waiting for Caribbean Club Champion

/noticias.info/ First winners of the regional showpiece CONCACAF Champions Cup way back in 1962, Chivas - renowned for only including Mexican-born players in their ranks - are one of the most popular teams in the footie-mad nation. Their recent victory over two legs against Toluca was their first title in over ten years and signals a long-awaited (two-decade) return to the international stage in CONCACAF.

Despite struggling in their own confederation, Chivas have participated admirably in South America's coveted Copa Libertadores in both of the last two seasons. In 2005, they eliminated much-fancied Boca Juniors of Argentina before going out in the Semis. In 2006, they got out of the group stage with wins over Colo Colo of Chile and Brazilian powers Sao Paulo, before finally going out to the Paulistas at the semi-final stage for the second year in succession.

But with the inaugural win (1962) their only triumph in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the men from Guadalajara will be keen to re-stamp their authority in the 2007 competition, which begins its quarter-final stage in late February. Chivas will take on the champion of the Caribbean Football Union's pre-qualifying tournament. Baltimore Sportif of Haiti, W Connection of Trinidad & Tobago or Trinidadian powers San Juan Jabloteh will be the Mexicans' opponent in the last-eight with the competition employing a home/away two-leg format.

Success at home, struggles abroad

Chivas' success in Mexico is not open for discussion. Eleven domestic titles (including another 13 when the league was still in its all-amateur infancy) two domestic Cup titles and throngs of adoring fans throughout the country and even down into Central America and beyond make the Guadalajara side - playing out of the fabled Jalisco Stadium - the most successful in Mexican football. Their hated rivals are Club America of Mexico City, and the 'derbi' crosses mere sporting and cultural boundaries, mobilising fans and neutrals across political and even socio-economic lines.

Despite their numerous domestic successes, Chivas lag behind some of their counterparts on the international scene. In the 41 instalments of the Champions Cup since 1962, Mexican teams are far-and-away the top performers, winning out on a bloated 22 occasions. But while Cruz Azul and Club America have won five apiece and UNAM Pumas two titles, Chivas have to be content with just the sole success over forty years ago. They will be hoping for a change this time around as they hunt a place in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2007, where they will hope to do better than their arch-rivals Club America did this year in Japan where they finished fourth out of six after suffering a 4-0 blow-out at the hands of Barcelona and losing a tough match to Al Ahly of Egypt.

Chivas' only success, in 1962, came after they beat Club Sport Herediano of Costa Rica 5-0 over two legs and Guatemalan outfit Comunicaciones 6-0 in the home/away final affair. But as the Champions Cup pre-dated the FIFA Club World Cup, the red-and-white striped side were forced to be content with their regional crown.

Guadalajara's last involvement in the CONCACAF Champions Cup was in 1985, when they lost out bitterly to Club America.

The 2006 Apertura season was defined largely by a devotion to quick-fire attacking football and the fine play of Oswaldo Sanchez in goal, Mexican international Omar Bravo who scored eleven goals in the Apertura and the always-controversial Adolfo 'Bofo' Bautista (8 goals) - who grabbed the crucial strike in the second leg against Toluca.

After a troublesome 'regular season', Chivas barely snuck into the eight-team 'Liguilla' play-offs after a wild card match against Veracruz. So, when eighth (Chivas) met first (Cruz Azul), it was the striped underdogs that came out on top in a tremendous upset.

In the semi-finals they beat the old enemy America 2-0 over two legs, before edging Americo Gallego's Toluca in dramatic fashion, 3-2 on aggregate in the final series.

In the end it was a case of Chivas hitting their rhythm at just the right time, and they will be keen keep up that pace when the CONCACAF Champions Cup kicks off in February with a place in 2007's FIFA Club World Cup on the line.