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In a high-intensity match played at Chapala’s municipal field, Juan Rayo, the Chapala team defeated Tala 7-6 in a penalty shootout after tying 3-3 in regulation time. With this result achieved on March 14, the lakeside team earned two crucial points to climb the standings in Group 11 of the state tournament.
The match was characterized by evenly matched play and constant friction, leading to multiple yellow cards and the ejection of a visiting player. The score remained tied throughout the 80 minutes of the match, forcing a sudden-death penalty shootout to determine the winner. A mistake by Tala handed the home team the decisive victory.
After the match, Chapala’s head coach, Isaac “El Piojo” Saldívar, highlighted the team’s offensive improvement, though he expressed concern regarding defensive lapses.
“The match was extremely competitive. We will continue making adjustments, especially in the back, since we’ve conceded six goals in just two matches,” the coach noted.
With this victory, Chapala has managed to bounce back mentally from the defeat it suffered in its debut against Poncitlán. Currently, the team is looking to solidify its playing system to stay in the fight for qualification.
Chapala will travel to face Tapalpa in Matchday 3 on March 22 at 12 p.m., seeking their first away win of the tournament.
Translated and edited by Tiffany Berkovitz
