April 25, 2025 — León Sports Center.
The tunnel was tight. Lit dimly. Echoes of cleats clicking off the concrete. A heartbeat rhythm before the war, Charlie Domínguez stood near the front, glancing down the line of América's starting eleven. He cracked his knuckles, looked at Santi, then over to Toro.
"This is it, boys. No turning back."
The referee stepped forward with a whistle tucked into his fingers. "Alright, captains!" The referee ordered.
Luis Solano stepped forward with an armband snug on his bicep. Standing tall, shoulders squared as Chivas' captain, Emiliano Vargas met him halfway. He was calm and focused.
They shook hands.
"Big day," Emiliano said coolly.
"Bigger for us," Solano shot back, firm and fierce.
The air between them hung heavy. Mutual respect but no love. The crowd roared ahead.
As the teams took to their positions, the sound exploded. Like thunder through a canyon.
Half the stands were drenched in blue and yellow, América fans banging drums, waving flags. The other half, an ocean of red and white, chanting "Chivas! Chivas!" with flares lit in the distance.
Flags waved and phones recorded. Young fans screamed their idols' names. This wasn't just an academy match. This was El Clásico—U19 style.
"Ladies and gentlemen… Welcome to the second semifinals of the Copa Del Futuro 2024! Presenting… Club América vs. Chivas Guadalajara!"
The announcer's voice echoed across the León Sports Center. Cameras panned the starting eleven for América with the usual 4-3-3 formation:
Alejandro Ramírez (GK)
Luis "Lucho" Ortega (RB)
Andrés "Toro" Vargas (CB)
Sebastián Ríos (CB)
Ricardo Mendoza (LB)
Diego Silva (DM)
Luis Solano (CM)
Santiago "Santi" Cruz (AM)
Charlie Domínguez (LW)
Fernando Valdez (CF)
Javier Ochoa (RW)
Herrera stood still with arms crossed as his eyes darted across the field like a general scanning the battlefield. Felipe was seated on the bench behind, clutching his notebook with his leg bouncing.
Across from them: Chivas captain, Emiliano Vargas and their deadly striker Diego González who had the most goals in the tournament so far. They stood like soldiers in formation.
The referee raised his hand, checked with both sides and blew his whistle.
América started the match.
The ball rolled from Santi back to Diego Silva. América's first touches were clean and precise. Quick passes through the middle: Silva to Solano, Solano to Santi.
"And we are underway! Club América on the front foot early here in León."
Santi received it again, turned with ease, and sprayed it wide to Lucho on the right.
1' Lucho fed it back into the middle, Santi was already making a run, ghosting past his marker. Santi looked up, then whipped a dangerous ball toward the penalty spot.
Valdez rose between two defenders, towering and met it with his forehead but the ball went wide off the post. Groans from the América bench. Herrera shouted something but was drowned by the crowd.
Chivas' keeper rolled it out quickly. They transitioned with speed.
3' Nico, their No. 11, got it on the left. Small and nimble with quick feet. He cut inside and skipped past Ricky with a neat flick, one-on-one now with Toro.
Toro didn't bite. He waited and studied. Then lunged with perfect timing, a clean tackle. He cleared the danger like a sledgehammer through a window.
Commentator: "That's a brilliant read by Vargas. Textbook defending; waited, watched and pounced!"
América settled into possession. Quick one-twos between Solano, Silva, and Santi. The midfield triangle hummed.
Diego Silva poked it to Santi near halfway. One touch, two—Dribble! He cut past one Chivas midfielder, danced past a second and slipped a pass into Ochoa's feet. Santi kept running.
Ochoa spotted him and chipped it over the top. Santi darted into the box, reaching the ball on the line. A feint left and the defender was gone. He squared the ball to Charlie, open but Missed. The ball went just wide.
9' The Chivas keeper launched it like a quarterback. Emiliano brought it down mid-stride. One pass to Diego González who peeled off to the right, Ricky chasing shadows. Diego flipped it over Ricky again, pushed forward, and then laid it off to Nico. A shot!
Alejandro Ramírez dived full stretch and punched it away! The crowd rose to their feet with applause and gasps.
15' Chivas again!
Chivas earned a corner after a save by Alejandro Ramírez. Emiliano jogged to the flag. Waited for the whistle and swung in with a perfect arc.
Diego broke off Toro at the last second and timed it like a striker born for the big stage. He rose above Ríos with a powerful header. POWERFUL! Into the top corner. Ramírez had no chance against such power.
"GOOOOAAAALLL! Chivas draw first blood! Diego González again! That's his sixth of the tournament!"
Coach Martínez jumped on the sideline, hugging his assistants. Diego sprinted to the flag, shushed the América fans, pointed to his coach and pounded his chest.
Chivas 1-0 América
16' América didn't crumble. They regrouped.
Solano shouted with a voice hoarse already. "Composure! Play through!"
They controlled the ball now with 17 passes. Then 18. Lucho to Silva, Silva to Solano. One-touch to Santi.
He took off. He dribbled past one, then another. He spun around a third. Laid it off to Charlie. One touch and taken out!
He was sent to the ground after a brutal tackle by a Chivas defender. The defender received the first card of the day. A yellow.
Free kick. 25 yards out.
"This is where Santi Cruz becomes dangerous. Remember that screamer in the quarterfinals?"
Santi stood over it. Closed his eyes. Last time he curled one into the top bin. This time, he bent it over the wall into the top corner but it hit the crossbar!
The sound of metal rang like a bell. Santi threw his head back. Frustration building.
20' – America still in possession. Ready to equalize.
Santi was flying now. He rainbow-flicked past one, nutmegged the next and crossed to Valdez, who missed another header. Hands on head.
22' – Chivas wanted a statement, They had the ball now.
Nico embarrassed Ricky with a stepover and feint. But Toro slammed in with perfect timing again, clean and surgical.
24' – Solano pulled a La Croqueta in midfield, and passed to Santi. Santi flicked it over Emiliano. Gasps from the crowd. The scouts were taking notice.
He executed the trivela perfectly to Charlie. Charlie weaved through defenders and shot! But it was saved by the keeper.
"My word, what a match this is. It's chaos. And it's beautiful."
30' — Chivas in possession.
Suddenly, a turnover. Emiliano fed Nico. He was so skillful, he did some stepovers to get passed Lucho. He darted and played it to Diego González.
A Touch and bang! Into the net.
2–0.
"And Diego does it again! Ruthless. Two chances, two goals!"
Ramírez couldn't believe it. Toro looked at Ríos. Ríos just shook his head. Herrera screamed from the sideline, waving his arms.
"¡Más intensidad! ¡Vamos!"
The Chivas bench erupted, their coach jumping like a kid at the playground. WOW! Chivas with a very nice, timing goal.
Diego González, what a boy!
The scoreline read: Chivas 2-0 América.
They took to their positions. América passed, Santi to Solano who whipped a cross to Ochoa. Santi dashed into the box fast, Santi, Again. A knuckleball, it hit the post and bounced out.
Commentary: "How many more times will América rattle the frame? That's unreal."
41' America in possession, ready to get a goal.
Lucho surged forward. Passed to Solano. Solano chipped it to Diego Silva.
Silva to Charlie. Charlie whipped it into space, Santi ran in behind Valdez, perfectly timed.
He pretended to shoot, the defenders bit. But he laid it back, Ochoa arrived from behind like a bullet and rattled it into the net.
"GOOOOOOOOAL"
2–1.
No celebration. Ochoa picked up the ball and ran back. He was on 5 goals, just behind Diego.
45'
Chivas had one more chance. A dangerous cross found Diego but Alejandro rose high and grabbed it.
45+1'
A mistake from Ricky created a chance for Chivas to extend the lead. Nico intercepted in the final second but missed wide.
The referee blew the whistle seconds after the goal-kick.
América walked off frustrated with their heads down. They knew they should've scored three. Chivas looked relieved. But they weren't smiling.
Santo wiped the sweat from his brow, frustrated. Ramírez slammed his gloves on the bench.
Toro sat, breathing hard. "We should have had three!"
Inside the América locker room, there was silence. Then;
"BASTA!" Herrera barked.
"We're better than this. They took their chances. We didn't. You want this? Then prove it. Not with talent but with the fight."
He continued. "Wake up! We play like this, we go home. You want that? You want them to lift the trophy and laugh at us? No! Play with purpose."
"We fight for the badge!" He exclaimed.
They responded. "We fight for the badge!"
Felipe pulled Santi aside, voice lower.
"They'll sit back now. That means space. Get between the lines. Take the midfield." Santi nodded, downed water, breathing heavily.
On the Chivas side, there were grins and water bottles. But Coach Martínez raised his hand. "Two goals mean nothing if we don't defend it. Sit deeper. Protect the box. No hero runs."
Santi wiped his sweat with his sleeve. Charlie stretched his calves. Toro bounced in place as Solano cracked his neck. Felipe watched them all, silent.
Then after twelve minutes, "Now announcing the return of both teams for the second half…"
The crowd roared again! The tunnel opened as blue and yellow banners waved. Red and white flares lit again. They stepped out again, ready for war.