Chivas USA prepared all season for the playoffs. The club built up a strong mentality, stressed concentration and took the season one practice at a time.
What the club could not prepare for, however, is what could ultimately cost the team the season.
Starting forwards Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo played no part in Saturday's 1-0 loss at Kansas City and their participation for this weekend's second leg is in doubt.
Actually, Chivas USA coach Preki left it clear where Razov stood.
"He's making progress but not for this weekend for sure," Preki said.
Galindo, however, still held out hope of seeing playing time on Saturday.
"I feel better. I'm not 100 percent but the pain has reduced substantially," Galindo said after the club's training session on Tuesday. "Hopefully I'll be able to continue recovering and maybe (Wednesday or Thursday) I can get back with my teammates and get back to training."
Galindo has nursed an abdominal strain for more than one month, he said. Now, however, he said he has a sports hernia.
After the club's final regular season game, an Oct. 20 date against Houston, Galindo said the pain peaked.
"It just got to the point where it got to be a chronic pain," Galindo said. "After the Houston game, I was in great pain afterward. That's why I wasn't able to play at all last week. Hopefully with some rest this week and some treatment I'll be able to play on Saturday."
In order for his pain to subside, Galindo said his best option would be surgery.
"That's what I'm going to need but if I get that now I miss the rest of the season," he said. "I've just got to go with the treatment right now because that's what is helping."
Galindo led the team in goals with 12 but last scored on Aug. 23 when he scored two goals against the LA Galaxy in a 3-0 win. Overall, though, Galindo and Razov formed a standout strike pair. Razov had 11 goals, three years off last year's pace but the veteran had a more consistent season this year.
But Chivas USA's 2007 season could end like the 2006 one did, with Razov unavailable for a playoff match.
After spraining his knee on Oct. 11, Razov was ruled out for six weeks. He had a procedure in which plasma was removed from some of his blood and injected into his knee. Razov went through some light exercises and jogged on Tuesday but did not go through any drills with a ball.
The club will get at least one player back. Lawson Vaughn served a one-match suspension for receiving a red card in the season finale against Houston and will be available for Saturday's match. Also, Orlando Perez (knee sprain) said he was feeling at 80 percent following Tuesday's training session and hoped to play a role in Saturday's match.
Aside from Razov's unavailability, though, Preki said he was unsure of what could happen.
"I don't expect anything right now. I don't really know," he said. "We've got to wait and see until Friday what happens with us."
Preki also said he had not yet decided on a formation or a starting lineup. Without Razov or Galindo, Preki settled on a 4-5-1 formation against the Wizards, the first time all season Chivas USA has gone with such an alignment.
He said he has not ruled anything out in terms of a formation and lineup but said he felt the quality was there to find effective replacements for Saturday's second leg.
"It's difficult but I still think we have enough," Preki said.
What Preki did say would help the club would be an increased level of fan support.
"We need our fans to come out and be our 12th guy," Preki said. "We need a little bit of boost. We need a little bit of atmosphere here and I know we'll get that."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
