chivas fc left the first leg of its Clausura 2026 semifinal against FC Juárez at 0-0, and that scoreline keeps the path to the final open for the side that finished second in the regular-season table. Esteban Mendoza Olivetto and Roberto Rivera Miguel are part of that group, with Chivas needing only to protect its advantage in the standings if the tie stays level.
The match at the Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez produced no goals, and Mendoza played 65 minutes in it. The return leg is set for tomorrow at 10:00 hours on the Gigantera 2 field in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where Chivas can advance with a tied aggregate because it placed second to Juárez's third in the regular season.
Esteban Mendoza's 65 minutes
Mendoza is 19 years old, plays forward and was born in Cuernavaca. He has appeared in 14 regular-season matches and three playoff matches, and his 65-minute stint in the first leg put him in the middle of the tie without producing the breakthrough Chivas needed.
That leaves the second leg with little room for error. A draw on aggregate is enough for Chivas to move on, but only because of where the teams finished in the table before the playoffs began.
Roberto Rivera's tournament presence
Rivera Miguel is 37 years old and works as the physical trainer on Luis Arce's coaching staff. He is also from Cuernavaca, and he has been present in all of Chivas' matches in the tournament.
His role fits the same narrow margin that now faces Chivas Sub-21. One more scoreless stretch would leave the semifinal deadlocked, and the table position would decide who reaches the final.
Gigantera 2 decides the tie
The return leg at Gigantera 2 is the only match left in this semifinal pairing, and it will decide whether Chivas Sub-21 or FC Juárez moves on. For Mendoza and Rivera, both from Morelos, tomorrow's 10:00 hours kickoff is the last step before either a final place or a finish one round short.
