After coaching Chivas de Guadalajara for a brief period in 2005, Xabier Azkargorta did not exactly forget about one of Mexico's most popular teams altogether. It turns out that the former Chivas boss has been keeping an eye on a specific player-Patricio "Pato" Araujo, a midfielder that was part of Mexico's Under-17 national team that won it all three years ago.

According to a Spanish-language program heard in the United States, the current Valencia general manager will recommend that the La Liga side sign the 20-year-old Mexican. But Azkargorta will have to wait until Guadalajara concludes its participation in the SuperLiga and returns to Mexico for these talks to take place.

If Araujo ends up going to Valencia he would be the fourth member of the U-17 World Cup champion that would join a European side. The others are Carlos Vela, Giovani Dos Santos and Héctor Moreno.

This got my attention because Chivas is doing a good job of projecting the team at the international level and that this institution is starting to become one that exports players. It all started when  Carlos Salcido went from Guadalajara to PSV Eindhoven after the 2006 World Cup.

To avoid any future misunderstandings, Chivas Guadalajara home matches will no longer air on the Univisión family of networks (thank heaven for that). Telemundo's coverage of one of Mexico's (as well as in the USA) most popular teams starts with the third round of the 2008 Apertura season. On Sunday, August 9, Guadalajara hosts Monterrey in what will be one of its last matches at the Estadio Jalisco before it moves to its new stomping grounds (Estadio Chivas) in nearby Zapopan.

I wanted to clear this up because some Chivas fans are under the impression that the Big T will begin its home game coverage in 2009, which is not the case.

For now it looks like Andrés Cantor will handle the play-by-play duties while Alejandro Blanco will take care of the commentary.

If I remember correctly I believe this is the first time since 2003 that the Hialeah, Florida-based network has had any type of Mexican League matches, when it aired Jaguares de Chiapas and Atlante (then in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl) home games.

Guadalajara will benefit greatly from Telemundo's coverage of its home games because, if you're a fan of the Rebaño you no longer will have to put up with Pablo "Torre de Jalisco" Ramírez's horrendous play-by-play in addition to his idiotic phrases which will never catch on. Plus, Jesús Bracamontes steps aside as well...so that means no more Elmer Fudd impressions from him. By the way, he's better known for being the father of Jacqueline Bracamontes, a former Miss Mexico. 

Another thing, the "Torre de Jalisco" moniker doesn't fit Pablo. He's actually from Sinaloa, a state to the northwest of Jalisco! Oh, and one of the phrases that he uses during the games happens to be from Jorge Ramos' arsenal of catchphrases. Okay, it's the one referring to the center circle, which Mr. Ramos call "el ombligo de la cancha", the navel of the pitch. Veeeery original Pablo! Nothing like stealing from the "announcer of the Americas". 

Let's hope that this is the beginning of something great--less coverage of the Mexican Primera on Univisión. It's a win-win situation folks!