Chivas should commit to a high-possession style

Data from Wyscout, FBRef, Golstats and Fotmob, photo from Telemundo.

Following Matías Almeyda’s time with Chivas, we’ve seen a lack of identity, direction and plans within the club, at least at first team level. Play style changes have been frequent, impacting the squad building process, and the ability for Chivas to develop and get the best out of their players.

The scatter plot below visualizes their style in each season, since 2019-20. I’ve used a principal component analysis (a form of machine learning) to reduce a large number of metrics regarding play style into just two numbers, one in possession, one out of possession.

There are four play styles shown, taking into account ideas in possession (patient or vertical) and out of possession (pressure or passive block).

This analysis doesn’t take into account how teams and coaches can adjust and change their approach in different matches. Generally, the teams located closer to the extreme points on the graph change less and have more specific styles.

We can place Chivas’ general play styles during the past few years into three different groups. Under Tomás Boy and Luis Fernando Tena, Chivas were a more patient team in build-up, and used a more passive block defensively. The press increased during Víctor Manuel Vucetich and Michel Leaño’s time in charge, and the team dominated possession between Clausura 2021 and 2022.

After a drastic change under Ricardo Cadena (Apertura 2022), Chivas adjusted their philosophy as Fernando Hierro arrived as sporting director, and three foreign head coaches were brought in. There was a clear intention to press and play more direct football, looking to exploit transitions, under the stewardships of Veljko Paunovic (who also changed Tigres’ style) and Fernando Gago. However, Chivas have lost that style in the past season.

Gabriel Milito is the new head coach at Guadalajara, and once again, we can expect a notable change in play style. Using the PPDA metric (passes per defensive action) shows how clear and specific his footballing ideas have been in the past.

Milito’s sides limit the amount of passes their opponents make before a defensive action, and complete more passes themselves before an opposing defensive action. It’s a high pressing style out of possession, with more patience on the ball.

This style is more similar to what has commonly been seen from Chivas academy sides, and from Tapatío in the Liga de Expansión, so may it help the adaptation of young talents into the first team. However, reinforcements were also required, and Guadalajara haven’t hesitated to invest, with four significant additions.

Bryan González: The best option available

Chivas had to replace Mateo Chávez, and Bryan González from Pachuca is an excellent signing. His quality on the ball will be key to help Milito bring his game plan to life on the pitch, whilst his ability to generate recoveries will partly replace Chávez’s main strength (albeit in a different way to winning tackles). González is also rather tall for a full-back and strong in the air.

The concept analysis is created with a machine learning technique and combines multiple metrics to quickly analyze key concepts for each position and role. Percentile ranks vs other teams (numbers in the bars) | Better ranking | Worse ranking.

At just 22 years old, the left-back still has time to develop, and improving his creativity and final third impact could be important under Milito. The Argentine DT has preferred a 3-4-3 in the past, and has experimented with a 4-4-2 diamond system during pre-season. Both systems normally require attacking output for the full-backs.

Whilst Bryan didn’t make too many key passes or crosses to the box with Pachuca, he has shown an ability to overlap out wide or underlap centrally, which offers Chivas different options when designing attacking moves.

Richard Ledezma: Suits a high possession style

It’s important to take into account that Ledezma played in a highly dominant side during 2024-25, with PSV. However, the Mexican-American seems like an extremely effective player for a high possession team, and a great signing for Chivas.

More of an interior midfielder in MLS, Ledezma played more minutes at right-back in the Netherlands. With movements inside and out, Richard was outstanding in build-up play, averaging 79 passes per game, 90% pass success and more than eight passes to the final third p90. He should suit Milito’s style of play, although his systems/formations may not be the most effective to get the most out of Ledezma, particularly if he’s always asked to provide width.

Doubts of his game come when his side don’t have the ball, particularly when he has to defend in 1vs1 situations, and Ledezma will have to defend more with Chivas than he did at PSV. Also, will this specific profile be effective for Chivas in the long-term?

Diego Campillo: Have Chivas over-estimated his impact in possession?

Campillo showed some qualities with Juárez before returning to Guadalajara. He’s a defensive midfielder with excellent reading of the game, and height, and therefore Campillo frequently recovers balls by intercepting passes and winning aerial duels. The Mexican can also break a press and advance with his ball carrying abilities.

However, Campillo isn’t a particularly intense holding midfielder, he doesn’t press the ball too often or win that many ground duels, plus his impact in possession was limited with Juárez. The context of playing in a lower possession team is a factor, but Los Bravos did play a more patient style under Martín Varini.

Like many young Mexican midifelders, Campillo doesn’t tend to receive that many touches per match, which limits his impact in the build-up phase. His lack of precision and ball progression when making passes are also concerning signs.

At 23, Campillo is now close to peak age. A drastic improvement in and out of possession will be needed in order for Campillo to suit Milito’s style, and to offer a similar impact to Chivas’ current defensive midfield options; Fernando “Oso” González, Érick Gutiérrez and Omar Govea, who should play more this season.

Campillo could be a useful squad member, given his ability to play as a center-back (although he doesn’t have many minutes in defense in Liga MX). However, it seems that Chivas might have over-rated his ability on the ball, and have shown a bias to a player from their academy. He doesn’t appear to be a great fit for a high possession, high intensity team.

Efraín Álvarez: Experience in a high possession team, but was he a necessary signings?

Efraín has a rare profile in football, but in high demand, a left-footer who plays as an inverted winger on the right side. There are only four Mexicans with this profile who played more than 600 minutes in the past Liga MX season, and Chivas now have two of them, with Álvarez and Roberto Alvarado.

Therefore, there are doubts surrounding the necessity of the signing, guarantees of his game time in the upcoming campaign, and whether or not a major investment was required.

Álvarez does have a distinct style to “Piojo”. Occupying more width on the right wing, Efraín is better in 1vs1 situations and has proven a more creative outlet. It’s hard to see where there’s space for both players in a 3-4-3 system though, and a diamond midfield certainly doesn’t suit Álvarez.

Efraín has proven to be effective in a high possession system though. He showed two key strengths to be able to help break down organized defenses in Juan Carlos Osorio’s patient attacking approach.

Firstly, he’s able to beat a defender on either side, making it more difficult to defend against him one vs one. Cutting in onto his stronger left-foot is Álvarez’s preference, but if this route is blocked by his marker, he’s able to accelerate down the line and get in-behind a defense. Secondly, thanks to his body mechanics and flexibility in his right ankle, Efraín doesn’t need much space or a large back-lift to produce a precise cross into the box, often picking out the far post.

You can read a more detailed analysis of his game in this article:

Major investment in the Chivas squad before Milito’s first season, and apart from Campillo (who may not play much), the additions seem smart for a side that are attempting to transition towards a high possession style. These signings should not be seen as just reinforcements for Milito though. This should be the start of Chivas maintaining a longer term style of play, recruiting not only players, but also head coaches, to bring a long-term vision to life on the pitch.

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