Chivas goalkeeper Luis Ernesto Michel celebrates win; Photo: Thomas Shea

By Lucas Ogden-Davis / MLSnet.com Staff

HOUSTON –- CD Guadalajara remains undefeated in SuperLiga 2008 after a 1-0 win against the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium on Tuesday night.

Guadalajara forward Omar Arellano scored the only goal of the match in the 71st minute, sprinting past Dynamo defender Patrick Ianni to put a low right-footed shot just inside the left post and out of reach of goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

The win puts Chivas on top of Group A with a 2-0 record. Dynamo and Atlante stand at 1-1, while D.C. United has an 0-2 mark thus far.

The victory also marked the first time an international opponent has defeated the Houston Dynamo in their home stadium.

The match was played in front of a crowd of 28,723 fans, the second-largest crowd in SuperLiga history. The largest crowd in SuperLiga history was the 37,337 who attended the Chivas de Guadalajara vs. LA Galaxy match on July 28, 2007.

“It’s good to see that the fans are passionate about their team in Houston,” Chivas midfielder Ramon Morales said, “and that obviously helps soccer grow stronger in this country.”

The crowd consisted of a 50/50 mix of Dynamo supporters and Chivas fans.

“It’s really a great experience to be able to play in front of a full house made up of two fan bases, supporting both teams,” CD Guadalajara goalkeeper Ernesto Michel said. “This gives a very special feel to the match.”

Michel distinguished himself in the match, earning the clean sheet against a ferocious Houston attack and finishing the match with six saves.

“It was a very good game,” Michel said. “We won against a difficult rival who was constantly on the attack. In the end, we were patient enough to be able to score a goal. Fortunately, the work we put in paid off, and we ended up winning the game.”

Chivas coach Efrain Flores was happy with his team’s effort in the victory.

“It was a hard-fought game, a very difficult game,” Flores said, “both because of the quality of the opponent and because of the field conditions.”

The conditions of the field at Robertson stadium, with large bald patches at midfield and in both penalty areas, were a concern for Chivas.

“It was a difficult field,” Flores said, “especially for the style of soccer that we like to play.”

Added Morales: “It was a difficult game against a difficult opponent. The field conditions did not contribute to the fact that we had to play a complicated game, and also the fact that we had a difficult rival made it a very difficult game.”

The win all but assures that CD Guadalajara will advance to the semifinal round of SuperLiga 2008.

“We leave very, very happy with the result,” Flores said, “because of the fact that we won against an excellent team that really knows how to play.”