Chivas continue to dismantle championship team as Orbelin Pineda joins Cruz Azul

clasico tapatio chivas vs atlas
Source: Flickr - Esparta

Chivas were crowned champions in the 2017 Clausura tournament with players like Rodolfo Cota, Rodolfo Pizarro, “Gallito” Vazquez and Orbelin Pineda. All of the players that were mentioned are no longer with the team as well as former manager Matias Almeyda as the dismantlement of that team continues.

This past Tuesday, December 18, 2018, Cruz Azul officially announced the signing of Orbelin Pineda from Chivas, a move that caused uproar and controversy within the Chivas’ fandom. Pineda was one of Chivas’ most important and talented players and could certainly be a key player in Cruz Azul’s midfield.

There are other rumors going around that other players from that 2017 Clausura championship team could be on the way out. Fullback Edwin Hernandez could sign for Pachuca, Angel Zaldivar could be picked up by Monterrey and it seems like team captain Jair Pereira has ended his tenure with Los Tapatios.

Alexis Vega, Hiram Mier and Dieter Villalpando have been added in this transfer window, but there certainly seems to be a disconnect between the front office and fan base. The fans were connected with that 2017 Clausura squad for obvious reasons and now, two years later, there are very few representatives of that team left on the current roster.