After scoring just one goal between them in their respective InterLiga 2009 openers, both CD Guadalajara and Atlas look to unleash their offenses on Tuesday night at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco. Chivas and Club America played to a 1-1 draw in Saturday night's late game in Houston while in the earlier tilt, Atlas and Tigres UANL finished in a scoreless deadlock.
Chivas trailed the Aguilas early after America's Jean Beausejour put his side up 1-0 in the 37th minute. However, the Red and White equalized in the 56th after an own goal where a header by midfielder Sergio Amaury Ponce caromed off the head of America's Alejandro Arguello and into the back of the net.
Chivas is no stranger to Pizza Hut Park. In their most recent trip to Frisco, on June 29, 2008, they faced FC Dallas in an international friendly and prevailed 2-1. In SuperLiga 2007, the same sides played to a 1-1 tie. The Red and White have played an InterLiga match in Frisco only once, when they played to a 2-2 draw with Cruz Azul on Jan. 7, 2006.
As always, there are a number of players to watch for Chivas. The list starts with talented midfielder Ramon "Ramoncito" Morales, who had three assists in the 2008 Apertura. Other key performers include midfielder Xavier Baez (three assists) and forward/midfielder Alberto "The Deer" Medina, who made his debut for the Red and White in 2000 at the age of 17 and has scored 38 goals career goals with the club.
In the draw with America, Chivas got a solid debut from one of their newest additions, forward Carlos Ochoa, who is over from Monterrey. Goalkeeper Luis Ernesto Michel, who had missed the entire 2008 season after suffering a broken forearm in last year's InterLiga, returned between the posts for the Red and White and came up with three big saves in their opener.
On Sept. 27, 2008, these squads met in Jalisco and it was Chivas who came away with a 1-0 win. Chivas last played in InterLiga three years ago, when they advanced to Copa Libertadores with a 2-1 win over Veracruz in one of the finals at the Home Depot Center on Jan. 15, 2006.
Atlas, on the other hand, returns to InterLiga just a year after putting together an impressive run that saw them punch their ticket to Copa Libertadores with an impressive 3-0 win over San Luis in the final at The Home Depot Center. The Zorros were led by talented Argentine striker Bruno Marioni, who scored five of his side's seven goals in the tournament.
After a 12-game stint at CF Pachuca last year where he scored three goals, Marioni is back with Atlas and was in the starting 11 for the Zorros on Saturday. He was joined up top by Paraguayan striker Jorge Achucarro, who scored in InterLiga 2008 and Uruguyan Gonzalo Vargas, who had five goals in the 2008 Apertura.
Ironically enough, it was Vargas who was brought in to replace Marioni up top for Atlas once it became apparent that the Argentine was headed to the Tuzos. Vargas even took over Marioni's No. 9. So, when Marioni returned last year, he took over No. 11, a number he continues to wear to this day.
One of the big impact performers for Atlas in 2008 was another Argentine, midfielder Dario "Pollo" Bottinelli, who had four goals and four assists. The Zorros outbid Club America for Bottinelli's services after a successful career in South America where he played for San Lorenzo's 2007 Clausura championship squad. Most recently, he played for Chilean side Universidad Catolica in that country's Apertura and also saw time in the Copa Libertdores.
The Zorros' won their only InterLiga match ever played at Pizza Hut Park, as they defeated Morelia 2-0 on Oct. 6, 2008, thanks to a pair of goals from Mariono. Marioni followed that performance up with another two-goal showing, this time in a losing effort against America three days later in California.
Tuesday's match, which follows Tigres and America, is set for a 9:30 p.m. CT and will be televised live on Fox Sports en Espanol.
