(Photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images)
Derby day in Guadalajara, Mexico. The stage is set for Guadalajara and América to take the pitch for the 204th time.
One point below América and a playoff spot, Guadalajara will be led by Francisco Ramírez, a novice manager who held assistant manager duties for former Mexican National Team bosses Ricardo La Volpe and Sven-Goran Eriksson.
He has been on the job for three days.
Meanwhile, after firing Argentinian Ramón Díaz four weeks into the season, América is managed by Jesús Ramírez, the only Mexican manager to win a World Cup in any category.
Ramírez will be missing star striker Salvador Cabañas and his tournament-leading 11 goals. Both Ramírezes will take part in their first derby as managers.
An estimated 67,000 people file into the Estadio Jalisco—police look on closely as both teams' fans begin to taunt and sing at each other.
Derby day in Santiago, Chile. Universidad de Chile will host Colo-Colo at the Estadio Nacional.
Colo-Colo, "The Eternal Champions", are in the midst of a six game winless streak and mired in the lower part of the table with 11 points in the same number of games.
The hunt for their 29th championship, it seems, will have to wait until next season.
Universidad, on the other hand, are only below upstart Union Española in the league table and are comfortably cruising towards the Apertura playoffs.
With Colo-Colo out of the way, The U could crown itself for the 13th time, the first since 2004.
More fans than the confirmed capacity of 42,000 that the stadium usually hosts find their way inside to root for their squad.
Derby day in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The smell of bife and empanadas fills the air. River Plate and Boca Juniors will measure up once more in search of bragging rights.
The season is slowly maturing, and Boca's uninspired start has them middling in the table, far away from its accustomed top spot.
River finds itself close to the summit but nonetheless looking up to undefeated Vélez Sársfield.
El Superclásico will once again draw attention from the footballing world as instances of its spectacular nature are well documented, with an English newspaper going so far as to say that it is the premier sporting event a person can witness.
Boca Juniors' home ground, La Bombonera, is almost entirely draped in blue and yellow, with signs, posters, and stencil sketches of legends past and present adorning the rafters.
The referee checks his watch. The ball has been placed in midfield. The sound of his whistle blowing crests over the chants, the screaming and the ambient noise.
The matches begin.
Guadalajara flies out of the gate, while América—the league’s most successful visitor this season—responds in kind. In the first five minutes, both teams have already squandered clear chances in front of goal.
The crowd oohs and aahs after every shot, pass and foul. Guadalajara’s Alberto Medina lives up to the No. 10 stamped on the back of his uniform by dancing around opponents, filtering precise passes to his forwards and taking shot a
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