The Ultimate Guide to the Guadalajara vs Club América rivalry

Club America vs Guadalajara

Guadalajara and Club America are the two most successful and most popular teams in Mexico, and the Liga MX duo clash in the famous El Super Clasico every season.

El Clásico de Clásicos (Clasico of all Clasicos) first took place in 1943, and has since become one of the biggest derbies on the planet.

The rivalry between Guadalajara and Club America – the only teams that have never been relegated since the Liga MX started in 1943 – is huge as they come, and in this guide we look at chivas de guadalajara vs club américa and everything to do with the biggest game in Mexican football.

A brief history of Club America

America were founded in 1916 and are the most successful Liga MX side, with 13 league titles, six Copa MX (Mexico Cups) and six Campeón de Campeones (Champion of Champions) cups to their name, with 35 major trophies in total.

The Mexico City-based club play in the 87,523-seat Estadio Azteca and have also won most international trophies in the Liga MX, with seven CONCACAF Champions’ Cups/Champions League under their belt.

America are currently owned by Televisa, and are also called Águilas (Eagles), Azul-Cremas (Blue-Creams) and Millonetas (Millionaires), given their money-spending habits when it comes to recruiting domestic and foreign players.

They are currently worth around £173million, according to Forbes.

A brief history of Guadalajara

Guadalajara were founded in 1906 and are one of the ten founding members of the Liga MX alongside their aforementioned bitter rivals.

The Jalisco-based outfit play in the 48,071-seat Estadio Akron and have won 12 league titles, four Copa MX, seven Campeón de Campeones and two CONCACAF Champions’ Cups/Champions League, with 26 major trophies in total.

Guadalajara are currently owned by Grupo Omnilife and are also referred to as Chivas (Goats), Chivas Rayadas (Striped Goats), Rebaño Sagrado (Sacred Flock), Rojiblancos (Red and Whites), Campeonísimo (Great Champion) and El Más Grande (The Biggest).

They are the only football club in Mexico that recruit no foreign players, constantly emphasizing the tradition of having only home-grown (Cantera) players and those of Mexican descent in their squad.

As a result of this policy that has allowed them to produce a lot of top former and present Mexico international stars, Chivas are very popular and are widely regarded as the most-supported club in Mexico.

They are currently worth £270million, according to Forbes.

Chivas vs Club América History

The history between Chivas and Club America is as old as Mexico’s professional national league, and there have been 244 meetings between both teams since then.

The duo challenge for the three domestic silverware (Liga MX, Copa MX and Campeón de Campeones) and three international trophies (CONCACAF Champions League, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup) available every season, and fans are guaranteed to be treated to at least two clashes between them in a calendar year.

Guadalajara ran out 1-0 winners in the first-ever El Clásico, but it was their third meeting, in 1944, that birthed their rivalry after America strolled to a comfortable 7-2 victory at Guadalajara’s expense.

The match was dubbed “a game of football and boxing” by the papers the following morning as a result of a big fight between both teams, with two players getting their marching orders. The derby was first called a Clasico almost 20 years later, and the clash between the two most largely-supported sides in Mexico has become the most anticipated game every season, with tickets selling out very fast.

During the early derbies, América were not particularly dominant, with Guadalajara often having the upper hand in the title races, but all that changed when the moneybag owners took over in 1959.

Owners of media company Televisa, the Azcárraga family, splashed the cash, made quality recruitment due to their ability to pay huge wages, and everything changed. As expected, other clubs and their fans were not impressed, with Chivas – known for their homegrown policy – becoming agitated.

Guadalajara had dominated prior to the arrival of America’s new owner, winning eight league titles between 1956 and 1970, with four of those Liga MX triumphs coming consecutively between 1958 and 1962.

However, Televisa’s huge investment in America put a stop to all that, with the Mexico City side winning five titles in the 80s.

Guadalajara have won just four titles since the 70s to date, and that has allowed América – who have won 12 within the same timeframe – to catch up and overtake them.

Chivas de Guadalajara vs Club América timeline

The table below shows a Guadalajara vs Club América timeline, highlighting some of the more recent games between the two clubs.

Fights in the Guadalajara vs Club América El Super Clasico

Violence among fans and even players can sometimes be tough to avoid between eternal rivals, and while things have normally gotten feisty between both sides, it reached a boiling point in 1983, with players from the two teams getting physical and exchanging blows during the second leg of the semi-finals of that season.

An initial 10-minute brawl later led to a 20-minute fight, producing just three red cards despite clashes between players, coaching staff and supporters.

Guadalajara eventually got the better of America during the playoffs as the match resumed and finished, meeting Puebla in the final only to lose after having had seven players suspended ahead of the game, and “La Bronca del ’83” (“The Riot of ’83”) became the talk of the country for months and years to come.

Three years later, both teams got into another fracas on the pitch again, with the brawl forcing the referee to send off all 22 players and suspend the match. The final 18 minutes of the game were postponed and finished at a later date in the season, with América securing a 1-0 win.

The violence of those days is no longer seen during current El Clasico games, though, with both fans and sets of players more accommodating of one another.

Given their different policies and recruitment styles, with Guadalajara seen as the club of the working class and America known as the rich man’s club, the clashes between both teams continue to be popular even outside of Mexico, with the huge Mexican and Spanish presence and massive fan base of both clubs in the U.S.A ensuring the games get high TV ratings in the country.

Chivas vs America historic matches

1984: Liga MX Final

Both teams met just a year after the riot of ’83 in the final two games of the campaign.

The first-leg ended 2-2, and America ran out 3-1 winners in the second-leg at Estadio Azteca, with the title the first of the five they won in the 80s.

2005: Liga MX Clausura

The Liga MX has been divided into two tournaments – the Apertura (opening) and the Clausura (closing) since 1996-97, with the Apertura held between July and December, while the Clausura takes place from January to May after a short mid-season break.

Guadalajara and America played out a 3-3 draw in March 2005 at Estadio Azteca in what most fans agree is one of the most thrilling derbies in recent years.

The hosts raced into a 2-0 lead but were soon pegged back minutes to the break.

Guadalajara drew themselves level shortly after play resumed but America appeared to have won it with 12 minutes left on the clock.

However, the visitors left it late to snatch a point with just three minutes remaining.

2015: Liga MX Apertura

In September 2015, Guadalajara were already fighting against the drop, and America were favourites having won nine of their last 10 fixtures heading into the clash. However, form is thrown out of the window whenever the El Clasico is played, with Guadalajara scoring twice minutes into the clash.

America pulled one back shortly before the break after their rivals had been reduced to 10 men.

They put a lot of pressure on the Jalisco side in the second-half, but Chivas held on to secure a huge win that helped them in the relegation race.

2016

America clocked 100 years in October, 2016, but Chivas did not allow them to enjoy their celebrations when they met that month, securing a 3-0 victory having lost twice and drawn twice in their earlier meetings that year.

However, America got their revenge in their next two games of the year, winning one and drawing one in regulation time, knocking their rivals out of the quarter-final stage of the playoffs in the Apertura as a result.

Guadalajara vs Club América Head-to-Head record

• Games – 244
• Guadalajara victories – 77
• Club America victories – 88
• Draws – 79
• Guadalajara goals – 302
• Club America goals – 314

Stats about El Super Clasico

Most appearances in El Super Clasico

Juan Jasso played for Guadalajara, while Cristóbal Ortega featured for América, and both players appeared in 50 El Clasico games each.

Most Goals by one player in El Super Clasico

Salvador Reyes scored 122 goals in 282 games for Guadalajara, and 13 of them came against America – the highest of any player in the El Super Clasico.

Largest victory

America 7-2 Guadalajara (20 February 1944)

Most wins by a side in a year

America set the record for most victories in a calendar year by defeating Chivas on four occasions in 2007.

Most meetings ever in a year

América and Guadalajara clashed a record seven times in 2016, with the former coming out tops with three wins. They drew two and lost the other two.

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