Chivas' youth academy is back in the spotlight. Samir Inda, Hugo Camberos and Santiago Sandoval could earn a place in the first team of Guadalajara Chivas. The three have different profiles, but they share something: they have already left behind being only projects of the Under-20 team. Their evolution and the opportunities they have received have placed them in a point where the question is no longer if they can play with Chivas, but how far they can push the current starters.
Samir Inda, to challenge the ‘Oso’
The case of Samir Inda is probably the clearest when it comes to a direct competition for a place. Rubén González, the ‘Oso’, brings experience, order and defensive reading to the midfield, but Inda represents a more promising alternative with characteristics that can give the team a different dynamic. The young player can compete for minutes as a central midfielder, especially in games where Chivas need more intensity, running and ability to break lines. The idea is not necessarily to take the ‘Oso’ out of the starting lineup immediately, but to generate a real competition: that Inda leaves behind being only an alternative and becomes an option to start games.
Camberos, from winger to full-back
With Hugo Camberos, there is a more interesting possibility. The player has shown conditions to play on the outside and, after having played as a full-back during the Under-20 World Cup, that position can become a way to find a place in Chivas' starting lineup. His speed, ability to conduct and overrun can be taken advantage of especially in a system with three central defenders and full-backs. Camberos would have a different responsibility: not only to attack, but to run the entire flank, participate in the exit and return to form a line of five when the team defends.
Santiago Sandoval, another alternative for the flank
Santiago Sandoval is another of the names that can benefit from the same scenario. His profile fits a position on the flank where Chivas need players capable of generating opportunities in attack, so his vision and dynamism are key to making a place for himself. If the coaching staff bets on the full-backs, Sandoval could become an important alternative, particularly on the right or playing as an interior, since he is not unfamiliar with it, having seen some minutes in place of Roberto Alvarado and even as a holding midfielder.
Three young players, three paths to the XI
Inda, Camberos and Sandoval could have different paths to the starting lineup. Inda has the opportunity to compete in the midfield with the ‘Oso’. Camberos can find a way as a full-back and take advantage of a position he already has experience in. Sandoval, on the other hand, could become an important alternative on the flank.
At this moment, Chivas is in 12th place in the Liga MX with 4 points, 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss in 3 games. Chivas' youth academy continues to work to find the players who can make a place for themselves in the first team.
