Sandoval and Camberos, the academy products outshining Chivas' new attacking signings

He comes on as a substitute in Seattle, touches the ball once and scores. That's how simple it was for Santiago Sandoval on his return to Chivas. That goal, which sealed the win over Seattle Sounders in the last Leagues Cup matchday, sums up pretty well what's been happening lately in Guadalajara's attack: the academy products are outperforming the new signings.

Sandoval and Hugo Camberos returned to Guadalajara after an outstanding stretch with Mexico's U-20 national team, where they won the Pre-World Cup title and secured a double berth to the U-20 World Cup and the 2026 Olympic Games. That commitment kept them out of the first three Liga MX matches and the first two of Leagues Cup, but once the national team was eliminated from the binational tournament, both traveled anyway to face the Sounders. That was the turning point for everything that followed.

Two stories, one shared impact

Camberos found the door open after Bryan González went down injured, and he made the most of it, locking down the starting left wingback spot and correcting his defensive shortcomings match by match. Last weekend against Xolos, he delivered his most complete performance yet, drawing a penalty and setting up one of the goals in Guadalajara's blowout win.

Sandoval, for his part, has been even more decisive. After that substitute's goal in Seattle, he came off the bench again during the trip to Torreón and served as the release valve Chivas needed to create danger. When his first start of the season finally came, against Xolos, he answered with the opening goal of the match, setting the tone for the rout of Tijuana. In just 120 minutes played this tournament, he already has two goals. With Richard Ledezma's eventual return looming, he's shaping up to be a serious contender for a starting spot.

The new signings still owe a debt

The contrast with this season's attacking additions is striking. Kevin Castañeda arrived after a strong previous Apertura with Xolos, where he scored seven goals and added two assists, trailing only Armando González among the most productive Mexican players. Jordan Carrillo came over from Pumas following his best Liga MX campaign, with six goals and three assists. Expectations were high, but neither has yet had a hand in a Guadalajara goal this season.

Carrillo has started four of the seven matches played and only missed minutes against LAFC in the Leagues Cup opener. Castañeda has had a tougher time: he hasn't started a single match and didn't play at all against Santos in Matchday 4.

Gabriel Milito was direct when discussing both signings' adaptation process during Leagues Cup:

Insisting, insisting and insisting a lot. Working hard, improving the things we need to improve. I need to help the guys who came in, who joined the squad, much more and much better, so that when it's their turn to finish out matches they give us the answers we're looking for. When that doesn't happen, the coach has a lot to do with it.Gabriel Milito

The awakening of Sandoval and Camberos has opened up an internal competition that wasn't part of the plan at the start of the season. While the academy products answer with goals every time they get minutes, Carrillo and Castañeda now face the task of raising their level so they don't get left behind in Milito's attack.