'Super Clásico' gets started in SoCal

Landon Donovan

and after a seven-minute delay where Suarez was carried from the field after a collision with Guzan knocked him out -- Ruiz neatly converted his own penalty when he sent the rookie 'keeper the wrong way (85).
• Then four minutes deep into stoppage time, O'Brien played provider as FC Dallas broke out on a nearly uncontested counterattack, the Irish winger driving in a cross to the top of the box where Eddie Johnson headed it past an on-rushing Guzan.
• "That was clearly not our best outing, obviously," Chivas USA coach Thomas Rongen said. "We were never able to get it into second or third gear."
• Rongen made one change to the team that tied the San Jose Earthquakes 1-1 the previous weekend. Jesus Ochoa came into the midfield in place of Aaron Lopez.
• Here's Rongen's team (4-3-3): Brad Guzan - Ezra Hendrickson, Douglas Sequeira, Ryan Suarez (Isaac Romo 84), Orlando Perez - Jesus Ochoa (Francisco Mendoza 55), Hector Cuadros, Ramon Ramirez - Arturo Torres, Thiago Martins, Matt Taylor (Antonio Martinez 71)
TEAM NEWS
• Chivas have allowed eight goals in three games, the poorest defensive record in the league. "We need to address a few issues here. Organization, loss of possession, and the transition in our defense needs to be better," Rongen said. "The defense is still struggling. If you give up eight goals in three games, you clearly need to address it, and we need to do a better job collectively in keeping teams off the board.''
• Rongen could have a pair of Mexican Primera Division veterans to call upon for the Galaxy match, after defenders Armando Begines and Alfonso Loera came through their reserve team match on Sunday. Loera played the full match in central defense while Begines played the second half at left back. Loera suffered a groin injury that forced him to miss much of the preseason, while Begines suffered a collarbone fracture in early March.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
• Central defender Ryan Suarez will be out 2-3 weeks after suffering a grade-three concussion when he collided with Brad Guzan on the play that saw him concede the penalty in the 85th minute. • Rongen will not have the services of defender Michael Erush, scheduled to undergo surgery for a sports hernia on April 21. The 22-year-old defender will be out for four to six weeks.
• Midfielder Francisco Gómez and goalkeeper Martín Zúñiga are recovering well and are expected to return to action in two weeks. Gómez suffered sprains to his left MCL and left ankle in Chivas USA's inaugural match versus D.C. United, while Zúñiga is recovering from a left ACL sprain suffered in March.