With a wealth of talented players on the opposing New England Revolution, it would seem difficult to focus on any one player. Nevertheless, Chivas USA coach Bob Bradley has managed to single out a star amongst stars.
"As much as Taylor (Twellman) presents an obvious challenge, beating New England has a lot to do with how you handle Shalrie (Joseph)," Bradley said.
Chivas visit the surging Revolution on Saturday at Gillette Stadium and the visitors' task will be difficult. As the Los Angeles Galaxy found out in last week's 4-0 loss to the Revs, New England can generate an attack through a number of different players. Joseph bagged a double while Twellman and Steve Ralston also found the back of the net.
As Chivas hit the road for just the second time this season, the Red-and-White will do so with a watchful eye on Joseph.
"It starts with Shalrie," Bradley said. "We've got to close down things in the midfield. We've got to get after him a little bit so that he is not given that much time. You have to deal with him on set pieces which is a different side of it. Shalrie, for a lot of people, is probably the most valuable player on the Revolution."
If Chivas can stand toe-to-toe with Joseph and the Revolution's powerful midfield, Jesse Marsch will lead the charge. Marsch was rolled an ankle in training three weeks ago and missed the club's last match, an April 29 encounter against New York. Marsch is healthy and should be back in his usual midfield role.
Playing the Revolution will present a host of problems and should prove to be the club's biggest challenge yet, Marsch said.
"It's going to be a real test for our team, that's for sure," he said. "They're one of the best teams, especially at home. It's a good time in the year for us to be real tested. I feel like we're making progress but this is a real big game for us."
Clint Dempsey is with the U.S. national team and will not play, but he left behind a wealth of talent. Ralston returned last week after missing two games with a groin injury while Twellman, Joseph, Jose Cancela and Andy Dorman must all be dealt with.
"They're the best team in the league and have been for a couple of years. They're really good at home and have a very good attacking core," Chivas striker Ante Razov said. "We've got to go out there and expend some energy. It's going to be a hard game. We've just got to keep it tight. We'll really do ourselves some good by getting some points from that game."
While Joseph is the catalyst, Twellman is the finisher. The league's reigning Most Valuable Player, Twellman might have something to prove after being left off the U.S. World Cup roster.
The Chivas central defensive pairing of Tim Regan and Carlos Llamosa, a former Revolution defender, must contain Twellman but doing so will be a challenge.
"Anybody who watches Taylor in the league will know that he is one of the most consistent performers in the league," Bradley said. "He's coming off an MVP season. He seems to be the kind of competitor that week in and week out wants to score goals for his team. That's a good challenge for us. When you play New England, the starting point is making the game a little harder for Taylor. If the goals don't come from him, it gives you a better chance."
Though Chivas has not won in its last three games, the club has had a string of solid performances tainted by a few minutes of bewilderment. A solid 90-minute performance is one of the club's goals for this week despite the opponent.
"We go on the road and New England is a tough opponent but the idea is to understand how to play on the road and understand how to play against a good team and know how to win," Bradley said.
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
