Chivas Tops Energy FC In International Friendly

Omar Bravo scored the match’s only goal to lift Chivas Guadalajara to a win 1-0 over OKC Energy FC in Oklahoma’s first-ever professional international friendly Tuesday night in front of a sellout crowd of 6,687 at Taft Stadium.

In the 29th minute, Chivas’ Michelle Benitez sent a corner kick to the near post of the OKC net that Bravo, Chivas’ all-time leading scorer and captain, volleyed past Energy FC keeper C.J. Cochran to give Guadalajara the only score they’d need on the night.

Energy FC came close to knotting the score at one in the 33rd minute, when  Jordan Rideout had a bead on a loose ball in a vacant Chivas box but couldn’t muster a shot before the ball rolled off the back end line.

Chivas had a chance to extend its lead in the 52nd minute when Emmanu Hernandez got around a pair of OKC defenders and fired a shot from point-blank range at OKC halftime substitute keeper Jacob Lissek, but Lissek was able to bat the shot away with his left hand to keep OKC’s deficit at a single goal.

In the 63rd minute, Energy FC got a boost from current Energy U-23 sensation Devante Dubose, when the right back streaked upfield past several Chivas defenders and sent a cross to Sebastian Dalgaard alone in the Chivas box, but the bounding pass took an unorthodox bounce off Dalgaard’s foot and sailed wide.

In the 64th minute, OKC had another chance to equalize when Luis Martinez took a wide-open shot off a cross near the top of the Chivas box, but the shot rolled wide left. 

Despite the loss, OKC outshot Chivas 12-9 on the match and evened the Guadalajara side in shots on goal at three apiece.

Energy FC’s next match is at 7:30, Saturday, July 2, at Taft Stadium, when the club faces Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, with a Fourth of July fireworks display immediately following the match.

All Energy FC home games in July and August are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.