Fans of F.C. Guadalajara, a.k.a. las Chivas, got to meet team strikers Erick “Cubo” Torres, Rafael Marquez Lugo, and Alberto “Guameru” García, Jr., as well as coach Jose Manuel “Chepo” De La Torre, at La Plaza in downtown this past Saturday. The event was more than just a meet-and-greet, however, as club president Nestor De La Torre and Tecate/Tecate Light brand manager Gustavo Guerra announced the “Taste Of Triumph” campaign.
The campaign will kick off with a friendly match in Houston, TX, on March 27th between Chivas and Santos Laguna at Compass Stadium, home of the Houston Dynamo, the future home of Cubo Torres. The game will occur the day before the Mexican national team’s first FIFA friendly, during which Liga MX will be on hiatus.
“We can keep the team in shape,” explained President De La Torre, “and play a competitive team minus any player who gets called to the national team. I believe it’s a good opportunity to have a great, competitive game.”
Chivas will also play two games during the summer pre-season with dates and opponents yet to be determined.
De La Torre also took the time to clarify and defend the club’s philosophy and recent player acquisitions. Chivas has long held to a tradition of signing only Mexican players, but has received criticism in the past few years for signing foreign-born players, most recently Isaac Brizuela, who was born in San Jose, CA.
Even Mexican-American Herculez Gomez of Puebla got in on the jokes this past Friday when Chivas played away at Santos Laguna.
“There’s a very clear rule within Chivas,” De La Torre said, “one has to be Mexican by birth. Mexican by birth includes anyone born to Mexican parents even if they were born outside of Mexico…and can therefore be part of Chivas.”
The rule follows the legal model set forth by Article 30 of the Mexican constitution and was originally clarified years ago when Chivas signed Jesus Padilla of San Jose, CA.
So, once again, there it is.