Chivas Guadalajara down Tigres to win Liga MX Clausura final

Chivas Guadalajara defeated Tigres 2-1 on Sunday to secure a 4-3 aggregate win and their 12th Liga MX trophy at Estadio Chivas.

Jose Juan "Gallito" Vazquez and Alan Pulido scored the goals that propelled El Rebano Sagrado to their first league championship since 2006.

Cheered on by their faithful fans, Chivas once again showcased a valiant effort against Tigres, who made two changes from Thursday night's lineup. Jurgen Damm and Alberto Acosta started instead of Lucas Zelarayan and Luis Advincula.

Tigres had a difficult time connecting more than three passes early on in the first half. Guido Pizarro was often chasing Chivas' players rather than transporting the ball with authority through the middle. But even with the difficulties imposed on them, Tigres were able to create a dangerous play in the 13th minute when an unmarked Damm appeared in the area, but goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota came out the winner as he slid to snatch away the ball from the speedy winger.

Four minutes later, center-back Oswaldo Alanis unleashed a laser pass from the midfield to Alan Pulido, who escaped Juninho's marking in the box. As the ball dropped to the ground, Pulido set his eyes on it and connected a soft volley to place the ball far away from Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman. Chivas were up 1-0, just as they were early on in the first leg.

Gallito Vazquez brings leadership and a steadiness to Santos' midfield.
Gallito Vazquez brings leadership and a steadiness to Santos' midfield.
Getty

Tigres persisted and developed their best attacking options through Jesus Duenas' boots. Duenas' surprising appearances from the midfield into the final third complicated matters for the Chivas defenders, but they held their ground and protected their slim 1-0 lead.

Defenders Carlos Salcido, Jair Pereira and Alanis gave colossal performances to keep Tigres' offense quiet. The host's second goal came in the 70th minute via a right-footed shot from Gallito. As the shot headed to Guzman's goal, defender Francisco Meza got in the way to deflect the trajectory of the ball.

Chivas' head coach Matias Almeyda watched most of the game crouched on his knees, his sight set on the field as his players controlled the match, but in the 88th minute, Ismael Sosa took a shot outside the box to get Tigres back into the match.

The game ended with a questionable referee decision. Sosa was tackled inside the box by center-back Pereira, but referee Luis Enrique Santander didn't call for a penalty. After five minutes of stoppage time, Santander whistled the end of the game. Estadio Chivas exploded in joy.