Californian left back Juan Pablo Ocegueda is officially a Chivas player, after having featured for the US national team just one month ago at the Under-20 World Cup in Turkey. He joins on loan from Tigres, with Chivas having an option to buy when the loan ends. Ocegueda debuted for Guadalajara's U-20s on Saturday in their 4-0 defeat against Chiapas FC.
The 20-year-old "will reject future call-ups to the United States national team, in line with preserving the tradition that governs the Rebano Sagrado," according to a Chivas press statement.
Naturally, considering the size of club that is Chivas, the debate over Guadalajara's "all-Mexican" policy is raging, with US Soccer fans obviously not happy that the player -- who has previously rejected call-ups to the Mexican national team -- will no longer be available and Chivas fans perplexed by the club's decision to allow a player with a clear affinity for the U.S. to be at the club.
First, let's put this in perspective. The player is yet to debut at the first team professional level, so the issue of a potential call-up to the full U.S. or Mexican national team is way down the line.
From the player's point of view, he really couldn't be at a better club in terms of youngsters getting a chance. Coach Benjamin Galindo was forthright in an interview with ESPN FC last week, saying that he is not afraid to play youth team products in either the Copa MX or Liga MX. The coach has also said in other interviews that left back is a position where he feels he does not have the cover that he would like.
At Chivas, unlike at Tigres, Ocegueda has a clear path to the first team if his performances with the Under-20s are good enough. It's a big pull for any young player.
But the issue again highlights the gray area of Chivas' policy.
On November 7 last year, the club released a statement intending to clear up the debate.
"In Guadalajara, only and exclusively Mexican players and those who choose to play for the Mexican national team will be admitted," it read.
The fact that Ocegueda played for the United States so recently, with so much pride and passion, does make somewhat of a mockery of the idea behind the policy, even if Ocegueda -- whose parents are from the state of Jalisco -- has now "resigned" from future potential call-ups. He has previously chosen the United States over Mexico and it's hard to believe that he wouldn't immediately want to leave the club if he established himself in the first team and was called up to the US squad just before the World Cup.
With the move for Ocegueda, Chivas have almost found a loop-hole in their own policy. Notice the above press statement is in the present tense.
Considering the strengths of the links that exist between Mexico and the United States in terms of immigration, the issue is going to rumble on.
Perhaps the best thing Chivas could do is allow any Mexican to play for the club, wherever he was born and whichever national team he chooses. It's not a popular opinion and would cause controversy, but at least the grayness would be eradicated for good.
A good point in Chiapas
Changing the subject to the actual soccer this weekend, a last-gasp goal from 19-year-old Angel Zaldivar salvaged an important point for Chivas on Saturday.
The young forward finished from a tight angle in the second minute of second half injury time to earn an important point, considering that Chivas had lost their previous six league games and were without four Gold Cup absentees -- Marco Fabian, Jorge Enriquez, Miguel Ponce and Rafa Marquez Lugo.
It was very much a game of two halves, with Chivas struggling before halftime. Galindo's halftime change of bringing on Michael Perez for Giovani Hernandez and shifting Carlos Fierro out wide changed the game and Chivas pressed for the equalizer in the second half.
When Zaldivar popped up in the last minute, it was deserved and Galindo will be happy, especially considering that the club had applied to the Liga MX to postpone the game due to so many players being involved with the national team.
Next up is the in-form Veracruz on Wednesday in Chivas' home opener in the Estadio Omnilife (7 p.m. ET).