Former referee Francisco Chacón has defended Víctor Cáceres following the controversial decision that sealed the 2-2 draw between América and Guadalajara Chivas in the Clásico Nacional. Chacón asserted that any foul on Brian Rodríguez in the 95th minute occurred outside the penalty area, backing the official's call that preserved a point for the Rebaño Sagrado.
The incident, which sparked intense media debate, happened in the dying moments of the match at Estadio Banorte. TUDN analyst Fernando 'Cantante' Guerrero had argued the contact was on the line and deserved a penalty. Chacón responded directly to that criticism on social media.
"Partido America vs Chivas, minuto 95, bien el árbitro Cáceres," Francisco Chacón wrote. "De existir falta sobre Brian Rodríguez, es fuera del área."
The match marked the classic's return to the Monterrey venue after two years. Guadalajara Chivas had built a two-goal lead through Bryan González and a Miguel Vázquez own goal. However, a Miguel Borja brace in under five minutes, assisted by Brian Rodríguez and Henry Martin, pulled América level.
With this result, Guadalajara Chivas maintains its unbeaten run and solidifies its hold on second place in Liga MX, with 17 points from eight games. Veljko Paunović's side sits just two points behind leaders Toluca and has a positive goal difference of plus nine.
The refereeing controversy does not overshadow Chivas's strong start to the season, which includes three wins and two draws in their last five outings. The team's next challenge is a home fixture against eighth-placed Club Querétaro on September 26. Fans can check the full schedule on our fixtures page and track the team's progress in the standings.
Chivas's coaching staff now turns its focus to preparing for that match, with morale high after a resilient performance in the difficult setting of an away clásico. Roberto Alvarado, with three goals, remains the team's top scorer this campaign.
This story first appeared at Record MX
