Chivas picked up the win this weekend against Monterrey. On paper that’s great news for Paunovic who can breathe easy coming into the second week of the season with 3 points after losing the final of the preseason tournament. There’s no question that this was going to be one of the toughest games that Chivas would seemingly have to face all year. A win is a win after all. However, if we’re being honest Rayados was clearly the best team on the field. Where does this game leave Chivas moving forward?
Alexis Vega Is His Usual Self The Rest Of The Offense Not So Much
It could be argued that Alexis Vega didn’t have his best game. It’s not like he was a constant menace for the Rayados defense. We would certainly agree with that. The reason why we mention that he’s been his old self is because those hot and cold streaks that he gets into are part of his usual self. Ultimately even folks who are not massive fans of him have to admit that he’s got a knack for finding the back of the net in key moments. That’s exactly what happened this weekend.
Even if the play where he scored the goal was pretty much his only offensive contribution it was enough for the win. Overall Chivas still has to figure out what they’re going to do at the number 9 spot. Particularly if they want to be able to generate consistent offense. It’s always good to know that you’ve got a player like Vega who can find the back of the net when needed.
Can Wacho Jimenez Keep This Up?
We have to admit that we had our doubts about Wacho Jimenez heading into this tournament. In fact, some Chivas fans had already called for him to be benched in favor of Rangel, the young goalkeeper that’s going to be riding the bench for Chivas this year. Without a doubt Jimenez was a determining factor to ensure that Rayados wouldn’t get on the scoreboard.
The problem that we see though is that Jimenez is also hot and cold, and that’s not great for a goalkeeper. Wacho Jimenez has been more or less reliable during his time as Chivas’ first choice goalkeeper. The team can be ok if he’s able to keep that level of play. He’s recently shown signs though that he’s perhaps not as reliable making amateur mistakes. Even though he had a very good game this weekend that goalkeeper spot is still one to watch with Chivas moving forward.
What Can We Expect From Monterrey Moving Forward?
Chivas is still a bit of a mystery meanwhile Rayados picked up where they had left off. That seems like a weird statement to make, seeing as how Rayados lost the game. However, they proved that they are going to be a team that’s going to push forward consistently. They just need to make sure that they get their aim straightened out. This is actually a real issue for them. This is a team that has 3 center forwards that would start for virtually anyone in the league. Yet, they can’t find the back of the net in big spots.
It happened to them in their game against Pachuca it was key misses that saw them get bounced from the playoffs. It seems like that consistency issue is causing them trouble again. In any case, they’re going to be a team that is going to blow a lot of bad teams out of the water. They just need to find the back of the net in key moments. If they can be a bit more consistent in front of goal this may very well be the best team in Liga MX. We’re saying this after a loss!
