1 day ago
12
Chivas de Guadalajara finally have something to celebrate in the 2026 Leagues Cup. After scraping together a single point from their first two matches, the Mexican club traveled to Lumen Field on August 12 and beat defending champions Seattle Sounders FC 2-1, with 19-year-old Santiago Sandoval providing the decisive goal shortly after rejoining the squad.
From U-20 gold to Leagues Cup hero
The match in Seattle carried serious weight for both sides. Chivas entered West Group 2 play alongside LAFC, FC Dallas, and the Sounders, and their early tournament form, one point from two games, left almost no margin for error. Seattle, meanwhile, came in as reigning Leagues Cup champions looking to defend their title on home soil.
Goals from Rey and Sandoval gave Chivas the 2-1 victory. More importantly, the result eliminated Seattle from the tournament entirely, ending their title defense in the group stage.
For Sandoval, the goal was a header, the kind of finish that looks simple in replays but requires being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. It was his first action since returning from the U-20 Championship.
The Veracruz native has been on an accelerating trajectory that Chivas fans have watched with growing excitement over the past year. His professional debut came on July 27, 2025, in a match against León. Less than a month later, on August 17, he scored his first Liga MX goal against Juárez. By May 2026, he was scoring a brace against Tigres in the Clausura playoffs.
A Chivas academy success story
As a product of Chivas’ famous cantera, Sandoval represents something the club has long prided itself on: homegrown talent. Chivas famously fields only Mexican players, a policy that makes academy development not just a nice-to-have but an operational necessity.
Sandoval’s inclusion in Mexico’s U-20 squad for the CONCACAF Championship added another layer to his rising profile. Mexico won the tournament, and Sandoval was part of the squad that delivered it. Returning from that high and immediately contributing at the senior club level, his performance timeline over the past 13 months includes a professional debut, first league goal, playoff brace, international tournament winner, and Leagues Cup match-winner.
What this means for Chivas and the Leagues Cup
Chivas’ slow start to the tournament made the Seattle match something close to a must-win. Picking up all three points against the defending champions keeps their path through the group stage alive, with matches against LAFC and FC Dallas still to come in West Group 2.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·