Club America fans are thankful cooler heads often prevail.
The Mexican soccer giant faced its biggest rival, Chivas, on Wednesday night in the latest installment of the “Clasico Nacional” in Liga MX (Mexico’s top division), and the hard-fought game nearly descended into an on-field brawl late in the second half.
The scuffle started with two incidents: Bruno Valdez’s tough tackle on Chivas’ Angel Zaldivar, and Darwin Quintero’s off-the ball shove on Jose Vazquez, for which the Chivas midfielder retaliated with the lightest of headbutts.
The 76th-minute tussle ended a dramatic period in the game, in which Club America turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead on goals from Oribe Peralta in the 71st minute and Renato Ibarra in the 73rd. Club America would go on to win 2-1.
Chivas, the defending Liga MX champion, now sits last in the standings and is out of playoff contention. Club America is in fifth place and almost certain to compete in the postseason.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube/Univision Deportes
