Sitting at the bottom of the standings is not something CF Pachuca knows well.
The Tuzos, or Gophers, are the defending champions of Mexico’s Primera Division and recent winners of the prestigious CONCACAF Champions Cup.
But today, the oldest club in Mexico is at the bottom of the Group A standings in the inaugural SuperLiga competition and will be fighting for survival tonight against domestic rival and perennial powerhouse Club Deportivo Guadalajara at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Pachuca, five-time champion in Mexico, needs a victory to advance to the knock-out stage of the competition, while Guadalajara, or Chivas, needs only a draw to move on.
Besides the pride at stake between these clubs, there is also money. The SuperLiga – which is made up of four teams from Major League Soccer and four from Mexico’s top division – will award $1 million to the victor.
“Economically speaking, it’s very important,” Pachuca standout goalkeeper Miguel Calero said Monday after practice at the Rapids’ complex. “But you have to respect the soccer, you have to respect the fan, and the best way is to take it very seriously and with a lot of responsibility.”
Some might call that added pressure on the Mexican clubs to outperform the MLS clubs, particularly Pachuca, which was tipped as the favorite.
Pachuca, which was founded in 1901 and is located about 60 miles outside Mexico City, lost to the L.A. Galaxy 2-1 and was held to a 1-1 draw by FC Dallas on Saturday. Chivas sits atop Group A after drawing with FC Dallas and defeating the Galaxy 2-1.
Pachuca coach Enrique Meza said his team has played well but not gotten the results. He also said there was no denying Chivas has outperformed all the Mexican teams in the SuperLiga.
Chivas, which has more Mexican championships (11) than any other club, taps into the nationalism of its home country with its club policy of fielding only Mexican-born players.
Practice Monday for Pachuca was spirited and focused primarily on finishing. Although Chivas has the luxury of not needing a victory to advance, Meza dismissed the idea Chivas would sit back tonight.
“They’re not going to come out to try and get a tie,” Meza said. “They have so much tradition. They’re not going to come out to spectate. They’re going to come out to win.”
The competition was by invitation this year, a decision that irked Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo, who feels his team should be playing after advancing to the conference championship the past two years.
Clavijo, however, like most involved with MLS, has embraced the competition as a way for the league to test and prove itself against such well-respected teams.
“Every player in this league that says they wouldn’t want to be involved in that is lying,” Rapids veteran defender Mike Petke said. “I don’t care how tired you are from games here, if that opportunity presents itself, it would be unbelievable.”
Rapids form partnership
Forgive Rapids vice president Jeff Plush if he is rooting for Pachuca a little tonight, but he has a good reason. The Rapids have confirmed they will announce a partnership with the Mexican club that will include the trading of ideas and possibly players.
The Rapids already have a partnership with English powerhouse Arsenal, in which Rapids owner Stan Kroenke owns a 12 percent stake.
Plush said Monday the Rapids will make little money off tonight’s SuperLiga match, but should benefit greatly down the road.
The Rapids and Pachuca will train together in the respective offseasons, and the Rapids will establish the Pachuca Academy for youth players at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids will promote the academy with Pro-Sport, a firm headed by Mexican soccer icon Enrique Borja.
SuperLiga
Who: CF Pachuca vs. Club Deportivo Guadalajara (better known as Chivas)
What: Round three of the inaugural SuperLiga competition, a $1 million tournament among four MLS clubs and four from Mexico’s Primera Division.
When: 8 p.m. tonight
Where: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
