CHIVAS USA v REAL SALT LAKE
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
7 p.m. PT (FSN-PT; FSN-Ut)
Aug. 26, 2007 (WEEK 21) / MLS Game #138
Chivas USA play their first "home" match in nearly six weeks, when they put their two-game winning streak on the line as they play host to Real Salt Lake at The Home Depot Center. While Chivas haven't been the home team, they still came away with a thrilling win on Thursday in Carson, defeating the LA Galaxy 3-0 in the Super Clasíco. For Real Salt Lake, it's their first away match since July 14, as they desperately cling to their postseason hopes entering the final third of the season.
REFEREE:
Richard Heron. SAR (bench): Emiliano Monje; JAR (opposite): Frank Anderson; 4th: Ramon Hernandez
MLS Career: 45 games; FC/gm: 33.4; Y/gm: 2.5; R: 10; pens: 10
Games involving Chivas USA: P2 W1 L0 T1; FC/gm: 28.0; Y/gm: 1.5; R: 0; pens: 0
Games involving Real: P1 W0 L1 T0; FC/gm: 27.0; Y/gm: 1.0; R: 0; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT:
CHIVAS USA - OUT: DF Carlos Llamosa (L knee ACL surgery); GK Justin Myers (L foot fracture) ... REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: MF Nathan Sturgis (L calf strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Javier Morelas (L rotator cuff strain); PROBABLE: MF Kenny Cutler (osteitis pubis)
SUSPENDED:
RSL: Alecko Eskandarian (through Aug. 26; five cautions) ... CHV: Alex Zotinca (through Aug. 26); Lawson Vaughn (through Aug. 26; five cautions)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Maykel Galindo, Jesse Marsch, Orlando Perez ... RSL: Kyle Beckerman, Carey Talley
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Jason Hernandez, Sacha Kljestan ... RSL: Jean-Martial Kipré, Chris Wingert
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (9 meetings): Chivas USA 4 wins, 18 goals ... Real Salt Lake 2 wins, 9 goals ... Draws 3
IN CARSON: (5 meetings): Chivas USA 4 wins, 14 goals ... Real Salt Lake 0 wins, 2 goals ... Draws 1
• This is the second of three meetings between the 2005 expansion rivals, the second of two at The Home Depot Center. They conclude their season series on Oct. 6 on the Wasatch Front.
• A year ago, Chivas USA claimed the season series by winning the first of four meetings between the teams before they played to draws in each of the next three.
• In their inaugural season, the then-expansion clubs evenly split their season series, each winning twice, each winning both of their home matches.
• The 5-1 Chivas USA against Real on July 9, 2005 is the largest margin of victory for the rojiblancos in club history.
• Coaches record: Preki v RSL: P1 W1 L0 D0 ... Jason Kreis vs. CHV: first game
LAST MEETING (MLS):
4/21: CHV 4, RSL 0 (Galindo 1, 9; Razov 45; Taylor 89)
• For the second time in as many seasons, Chivas USA handed their expansion brethren a heavy defeat in the first meeting of the season, a 4-0 whitewashing at The Home Depot Center on April 21.
• A historic night got off to a fast start. A long ball from Alex Zotinca on the right found Maykel Galindo on the right side of the area, and after he rounded RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando well out from goal, he banged home a low shot for his first career MLS goal. The goal came after just 28 seconds, the sixth-fastest in MLS history.
• Then eight minutes later, Galindo's pace again got the better of the RSL backline. Again he raced down the right flank, and after skipping through a tackle in the area, turned the corner and raced at goal before toe-poking an angled shot past Rimando to double the Chivas lead.
• Just before the halftime break, the historic night continued as Razov made it 3-0. Galindo knocked the ball out to Francisco Mendoza on the left, and he dribbled into the box before lofting a perfect cross to the far post, where Razov rose up to powerfully head down into the goal for the 100th league goal of his MLS career. He joined just two other players to reach the century mark in league play: Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis and D.C. United's Jaime Moreno.
• The Red-and-White finished off the match in the 89th minute. A flurry in the RSL goalmouth saw Matt Taylor blast a shot goalward, only for Eddie Pope to somehow keep it out on the line. But Taylor latched onto the rebound and sent it back into the back of the net to complete the 4-0 scoreline. The win equaled Chivas USA's most lopsided victory, a 5-1 rout of Real Salt Lake in July 2005.
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Brad Guzan - Alex Zotinca (Jason Hernandez 78), Claudio Suarez, Lawson Vaughn, Jonathan Bornstein - Sacha Kljestan, Amado Guevara, Jesse Marsch, Francisco Mendoza - Maykel Galindo (Matt Taylor 66), Ante Razov (John Cunliffe 65). Substitutes Not Used: Desmond Brooks, Preston Burpo, Laurent Merlin, Erasmo Solorzano
• Here's John Ellinger's team (4-2-3-1): Nick Rimando - Chris Lancos (Andy Williams 46 / Atiba Harris 79), Eddie Pope, Jack Stewart (Chris Brown 72), Willis Forko -Carey Talley, Jason Kreis - Chris Klein, Mehdi Ballouchy, Freddy Adu - Jeff Cunningham. Substitutes Not Used: Nikolas Besagno, Kenny Cutler, Chris Seitz
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy for just the second time ever, officially concluding a four-game road swing with three victories after a 3-0 victory Thursday evening at The Home Depot Center in what was a Galaxy home game. Chivas USA now have 33 points from 19 matches, still sitting in third place in the Western Conference but now tied for fifth place in the MLS overall table entering the weekend.
LAST MATCH
• Chivas USA had last played a home game on July 14, winning two of three on successive visits to Eastern Conference clubs. The Galaxy were winless in five consecutive league games and had lost three in a row, though the stretch did include victory in the SuperLiga semifinals.
• While the opening exchanges were tame by comparison, the rivalry boiled over just before the end of the half. Chivas USA's Jesse Marsch and the Galaxy's David Beckham had a running battle in the midfield and when Marsch hit Beckham with a high tackle, a scuffle ensued. Marsch received a yellow card, but in the melee, Alex Zotinca and Kevin Harmse took it one step farther and were both sent off by referee Terry Vaughn.
• After the break, Chivas were gifted a goal. A long through ball was played to the Galaxy area but Kyle Veris misplayed it as he tried to clear. Maykel Galindo quickly pounced and sent a rolling shot past Joe Cannon for the 58th-minute opener.
• Eleven minutes later Chivas doubled the lead through a wonderful sequence. Sacha Kljestan found Francisco Mendoza in yards of space on the right, and Mendoza followed with a perfect first-time pass to Galindo haring up the middle. The Cuban neatly slotted the ball past Cannon for his second goal on the night and 10th on the season.
• Chivas finished off the match in the 88th minute. Substitute Ramon Nuñez slid the ball to Kljestan at the top of the area, and he quickly turned and found Mendoza alone in the left side of the area. Mendoza then calmly curled the ball inside the near post for his first goal on the campaign.
• Chivas USA head coach Preki made two changes to the team that defeated Toronto FC 2-0 the Saturday before. Claudio Suarez returned from suspension, coming into central defense in place of Jason Hernandez, and Jonathan Bornstein was held out of the starting lineup after playing for the USA the night before in Sweden, his place taken by Francisco Mendoza.
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Brad Guzan - Alex Zotinca, Claudio Suarez (Jason Hernandez 77), Shavar Thomas, Orlando Perez - , Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Lawson Vaughn, Francisco Mendoza - Maykel Galindo (Ramon Nunez 72), Ante Razov (Paulo Nagamura 59). Substitutes Not Used: Jonathan Bornstein, Preston Burpo, John Cunliffe, Laurent Merlin
• "I thought we played a total game. I thought from the first moment we established ourselves, we dominated, we created a lot of chances we even could have gone in up at the half," Preki said. "But you know sometimes you have to be patient. We were patient, we were disciplined, we knew our chances would come and we put a couple away in the end."
TEAM NEWS
• One of the major themes after the match was the use of the three internationals in the match. After playing the entire match for England then traveling over the Atlantic and the continent, David Beckham played the entire match against Chivas. Landon Donovan played 64 minutes for the USA in Sweden, and came on for the final half-hour against Chivas. Jonathan Bornstein also played 64 minutes in Sweden, but was an unused substitute.
• "I told him before the game he was not playing. Unless something incredible happens that we have to use him for 15 minutes. But I didn't feel he could play under those conditions," Preki said.
• Facing Beckham as they did made the victory in the Super Clasíco - just the second ever for Chivas in the series - that much sweeter.
• "We beat them once before but that was without Landon (Donovan) and (Chris) Albright and then everybody says 'Oh, they beat them without Landon and Albright,'" Sacha Kljestan said. "We beat them with their players tonight and we showed the league that we're a pretty good team."
• Chivas picked up its second shutout in the last three matches and are within three points of FC Dallas and four of first-place Houston with two and three games in hand respectively against each club. Additionally, Chivas has a 19-point edge over the Galaxy having played just two more games than their rivals.
• "We're just kind of rolling along here and winning games and it's a good feeling," Ante Razov said. "It's important to leave teams further back in the standings. We feel good about what's going on here."
• Said Brad Guzan: "It's a big win for us on more than one level. We move up in the standings a bit and get closer to Dallas. And obviously anytime you beat them in a game like this where the atmosphere is great and everyone's adrenaline is pumping, to come out on top is pretty sweet."
• Still, said Preki, they cannot afford to have a "hangover" on Sunday night against their expansion brethren.
• "We have an incredible opportunity here. Now we've got to understand that all this will be spoiled if we don't come out and be ready to play on Sunday. We've got to come out and be ready," Preki said. "Sunday's going to be a very important game. We saw what happened with the [New York] Red Bulls the other day. They had a very good win against the Galaxy: 5-4, a high, emotional game. They went four days later and they lost [to D.C.]. So we've got to make sure that we're all ready to play."
• Of course, one of the other talking points after the match was the scuffle between Jesse Marsch and Beckham that ended up with Kevin Harmse and Alex Zotinca being shown red cards.
• "It was a competitive game. It was a Clasico," Marsch said. "There's a lot of emotion out there and I felt he got me a couple of plays before that. And then he's on a little bit of a break. I may have fouled him more than I would have liked to but we needed a foul at that point. ... It was a little bit overboard and I apologized to him. I hope he knows that I respect him. It was just the competitive nature of the game. He just gave me a nod. There wasn't a whole lot of dialogue. I just apologized and told him I respected him and he gave me a nod."
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake again weren't able to follow up a victory with another result, returning to action after a two-week layoff with a 2-0 loss to the Chicago Fire at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday evening. RSL is in sixth place in the Western Conference with 12 points from 18 matches, still two points behind the Los Angeles Galaxy (who have played one fewer game).
LAST MATCH
• Both teams came into the game desperately needing a win if they were to stay in contention for a playoff spot, both off two-week layoffs. Real Salt Lake had ended a four-game losing streak with their second win of the season last time out, while the Fire had just one win in their last eight games.
• Cuauhtemoc Blanco sent the Fire on their way with a world-class strike two minutes before the halftime interval. Taking a pass from the left, the Mexican international took a quick touch before blasting an rising angled shot from all of 25 yards away from goal inside the far post for his first league goal.
• The Fire's newest addition, Costa Rican international Paulo Wanchope teamed with Blanco to salt the game away 12 minutes from the end. Blanco sent in a corner from the left and Wanchope was able to hang in the air before nodding home a header at the back stick for his first MLS goal and secure an important three points.
• RSL head coach Jason Kreis made two changes to the team that defeated Houston Dynamo 1-0 at home on Aug. 4. Andy Williams returned from suspension, coming into the midfield for Chris Brown, while Alecko Eskandarian came back from a heel injury, starting in attack for Kyle Brown.
• Here's Kreis's team (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Jean-Martial Kipre (Chris Brown 78), Ritchie Kotschau, Eddie Pope, Chris Wingert - Kyle Beckerman, Carey Talley, Nathan Sturgis (Atiba Harris 33) - Andy Williams - Robbie Findley, Alecko Eskandarian (Fabian Espindola 58). Substitutes Not Used: Chris Lancos, Matias Mantilla, Chris Seitz, Jamie Watson
• "I'm just not going to talk about wouldas, shouldas and couldas, at the end of the day we just weren't good enough. My initial impression on the game is we were just not quite good enough. Our passing was not good enough, shots on goal were not good enough. The soccer tonight wasn't quite good enough," Kreis said.
TEAM NEWS
• Still, Kreis was pleased with the effort his team put forth. "I was pleased with the mentality of the guys and the way they come out. I thought we were really all over them," he said. "We were not possessing the ball as much as I would have liked in the first half. We were taking too many chances from over the top and that caused us to have to defend for long stretches of time. If you do not keep the ball in this league, the other team will keep it, then you get to defend for awhile, which just results in fatigue."
• Real were concerned they would come out flat after the two-week break; that was not a problem. Perhaps it was just that the breaks didn't go their way.
• "I thought the first 20 minutes or so we came out with the right attitude and were probably unlucky not to get a goal. Robbie [Findley] hit the post and I had a couple of chances I should have done better with," said Alecko Eskandarian. "We were taking the game to them, but Blanco hits that bomb and it changes the whole game. We definitely didn't do well with possession and with the attack in general. It was tough tonight, we kind of played into their hands."
• After RSL won its first game of the year, against D.C. United on June 23, they lost to Toronto FC the next time out. They suffered the same fate after their second win.
• "We came out trying to get a streak going, because we've been playing well. I thought we played all right tonight; we definitely came out and fought. I think we were maybe too aggressive; we wanted to force that final pass. The ball didn't bounce our way tonight," said goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "(It was a) great goal by [Cuauhtemoc] Blanco, killed us on the service again. I don't think we should hang our heads, but it should definitely boost us for next week. "
• One of the club's new signings, Argentinian Fabian Espindola, made his MLS and RSL debut. Matias Mantilla was an unused substitute, while Javier Morales was still awaiting his international transfer certificate.
• "I thought he did well," Kreis said of Espindola. "He showed up in a lot of good spots, turned the ball and ran at some defenders. Laid off a good ball and ran in behind and had a chance to score. At the end of the day, would I have liked to see him put that in? For sure, but he did some good things."
