Overview

• In Guadalajara, Marco Antonio “Gato” Ortiz awarded América two penalties against Atlas, the first for a handball on Gaddi Aguirre converted by Brian Rodríguez and a late foul on Víctor Dávila that was not sent to VAR.
• With the Atlas decisions, Ortiz has now given seven penalties across six consecutive América matches he has officiated this year.
• Social media made “Gato Ortiz” a trending topic as memes alternated between alleging favoritism and mock-hero worship from América supporters.
• Former referee Paco Chacón publicly questioned the Commission’s referee assignments, criticizing the choice to appoint Ortiz again and noting repeated FIFA-listed officials for América.
• Reporting cites case-by-case reviews finding most calls legally defensible, and there is no indication of league sanctions or a formal investigation.