Las Chivas' Rodolfo Gonzalez Aguirre controls the ball during the Ftbol De Las Rosas international soccer exhibition game between the sub 20 division Club America team and Las Chivas at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium Saturday July 2, 2106. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

A man dressed head to toe in Chivas Guadalajara red and white and wearing a lucha libre mask, sprinted in front of the crowd from one side to another while holding a Chivas flag with the crowd responding in kind with loud applause.

A youngster decked out in Club America yellow then picked up a flag with his team’s colors and began to sprint the opposite direction in front of the crowd with more loud applause.

It was a festive atmosphere Saturday evening at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, and despite the heat, an estimated 4,500 fans were treated to a competitive Sub 20 exhibition match between two longtime rivals at the 6th Annual Futbol de las Rosas.

In the end, it was a first-half penalty kick that was the decider as with Club America edged out Chivas, 1-0. America avenges a 2-1 loss it suffered to Chivas two years ago in Tyler.

America Sub 20 coach Israel Hernandez said despite the heat, his team enjoyed its visit to the Rose City.

“I want to say thank you to the fans in the area who came out and supported us,” Hernandez said through a translator following the match. “We bring to Tyler maybe the next Mexican superstars from Chivas and America.”

One of those aspiring players knew the turf at Earl Campbell Field better than anyone on the pitch.

Daniel Abarca, a Robert E. Lee graduate, is a goalkeeper for Chivas Sub 20. Two years ago, Abarca said he was sitting in the stands watching these two teams play in the 4th Copas de las Rosas. On Saturday, he was in net for Chivas making second-half stops.

“I am very happy to be here again,” said Abarca, who was the 2014 All-East Texas Boys Soccer MVP. “I want to thank everyone who came out here and supported me. It has been a lot of discipline, sacrifice and hard work to (get me here).”

Abarca entered for Chivas in the second half and was called on once to make a save off a free kick.

A scoreless deadlock was broken in the 40th minute when the referee pointed to the spot because of a handball when a Chivas defender attempted to block a long-range shot.

America’s Ricardo Cruz stepped to the spot and placed his shot low and to the left with Chivas’ keeper diving to the right.

Chivas turned up the pressure in the second half looking for an equalizer, but were unable to unlock America’s backline and keeper. On three separate occasions America players blocked shots aimed toward the goal with their keeper denying the ones that got through.

The best chance of the night for Chivas came in the 64th minute when Kevin Enrique volleyed a ball that beat America’s keeper, but not the cross bar. The ricochet came out to another Chivas player, but his volley was knocked away.

In the 80th minute, Chivas’ Ivan Gutierrez raced down the wing and into the box and hopped over a slide tackle before rifling a near-post shot that was parried away.

“Right now we are in our preseason and it is very hard to play in these weather conditions (with the heat), but we both know that both of these teams are going to be great this season,” Hernandez said.

Notes: The event was presented by the Tyler Hispanic Business Alliance and Super 1-Brookshires … prior the match there was a concert and booths for fans … there were also two water breaks during the match to cope with the heat … Club America’s first team will play friendly against New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer on Wednesday at Red Bull Arena.

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