By Andy González
Chivas will try to recover some ground after a penalty shootout defeat in their first match when they face Dallas on Saturday at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- 2nd meeting all-time (Tied 1-1 in the 2007 SuperLiga)
- Record at Leagues Cup: Chivas (2-5), Dallas (2-4)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Chivas:
- 1 Win, 2 Draws, 2 Losses
- Dallas:
- 2 Wins, 2 Draws, 1 Loss
MAIN STORYLINES
- Chivas de Guadalajara saw five of its players represent Mexico at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Raúl Rangel, Luis Romo, Brian Gutiérrez, Armando González, and Roberto Alvarado.
- Dallas also boasts three players who participated in the last World Cup: Herman Johansson (Sweden), Louicius Don Deedson (Haiti), and Petar Musa (Croatia).
- Gabriel Milito and Eric Quill face each other for the first time in their managerial careers.
KEY FACTORS
- Chivas:
- Roberto Alvarado returned as a national hero after a great World Cup with the Mexican National Team and maintained his form to become his club's top scorer this season.
- Armando González, 23, is looking to score after finishing second in the Liga MX scoring charts in the Clausura 2026 (12 goals) and tied for first place in the Apertura 2025 (12 goals).
- Raúl Rangel made four saves in the match against LAFC before losing in the penalty shootout.
- Dallas:
- Jonathan Sirois made nine saves across two matches, against Querétaro in the Leagues Cup and LA Galaxy in MLS. These nine saves are a new personal best for him in an official match.
- Petar Musa shares the lead in the MLS scoring charts with 13 goals.
- Joaquín Valiente leads his team with five assists and recently scored his first goal since joining the club.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
After missing the 2025 Leagues Cup, Dallas made an emphatic return to the competition with a convincing victory over Querétaro. Now, the Texas side will look to build on that strong start and take another major step toward the quarterfinals. Head coach Eric Quill could once again rotate his squad, as he did in the opener, although he will be without Anderson Julio, who exited early against Querétaro with an injury. His replacement, Petar Musa, made an immediate impact and will likely play a key role once again.
For Chivas the stakes are equally high. Since reaching the Leagues Cup semifinals in 2023, the club has struggled in the competition, managing just one regulation-time victory and failing to advance to the knockout stage. After earning only one point against LAFC, the Rebaño knows it likely needs at least two points from this matchup to remain in contention for one of Liga MX's four quarterfinal berths, especially with clubs like Toluca and Club América opening the tournament with impressive victories.
Head coach Gabriel Milito confirmed that nearly his entire squad is available, with José Castillo the lone absentee after being ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. Despite the lack of goals in the opener, Milito expressed confidence in his team's performances and believes the results will come if they continue playing with the same identity.
"We haven't been clinical enough to score goals, but I'm more concerned with the way we're playing. The team is maintaining its identity and playing the style we want. Everyone is committed to playing the kind of football we believe in."
With both clubs aiming to strengthen their position in the Phase One standings, Sunday's matchup promises to be one of the most significant contests of the weekend. A victory would leave either side well positioned to challenge for a place in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.
Chivas carries significant market confidence into the matchup at 54%, compared to 26% for FC Dallas, as both sides look to strengthen their position in the race for the quarterfinals.
