all after losing three games on the trot -- while FC Dallas were winners of three of their last four.
• Dynamo were forced into a lineup change before the game even began, as Canadian international Pat Onstad was injured in pre-match warmups. Zach Wells, who backstopped a pair of victories while Onstad was away on international duty for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, once again stood between the posts.
• Wells had to only make saves of a routine variety over the match, though FC Dallas had the better of much of the play. The game's best chance fell to Houston's other Canadian international, Dwayne De Rosario, who was slipped in alone inside the FCD penalty area. But Hoops 'keeper Dario Sala came quickly off his line and blocked De Rosario's effort with his chest in the 85th minute to preserve the result.
• FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow made three changes to the team that came away from Colorado with a 1-0 victory the week before - all in the back four. Drew Moor was away on national team duty, Alex Yi injured and Chris Gbandi suspended, meaning Bobby Rhine, Aaron Pitchkolan and David Wagenfuhr came into their places respectively.
• Here's Morrow's team (4-2-1-3): Dario Sala - Bobby Rhine, Clarence Goodson, Aaron Pitchkolan, David Wagenfuhr - Marcelo Saragosa, Pablo Ricchetti - Juan Toja - Dominic Oduro (Abe Thompson 71), Carlos Ruiz, Arturo Alvarez. Substitutes Not Used: Andrew Daniels, Michael Dello-Russo, Shaka Hislop, Ramon Nunez, Adrian Serioux, Blake Wagner
• "I'm pleased with the team effort today, and the work and the commitment. I thought over the 90 minutes we were probably the better team; (we) looked a little more threatening throughout the game. I thought we were the team that looked more likely to score a goal," Morrow said. "It was a tight game, lot of commitment, two good teams going at it. I thought it was very, very competitive throughout. I'm pleased with the clean sheet but the boys are a little disappointed that we didn't get the three points."
TEAM NEWS
• Morrow was especially pleased with the clean sheet his team kept. His first-choice back four had been together for 11 of 15 games prior to the Dynamo match.
• "Credit to the back four today. I want to give them a lot of credit because it was a new-look back four for us, and those guys haven't played together, and I thought they did a fantastic job throughout the game - coped very well with (Brian) Ching and (Joseph) Ngwenya, and (Brian) Mullan and (Dwayne) De Rosario," he said.
• While Bobby Rhine and David Wagenfuhr have been regular deputies in the back four for FC Dallas, a bigger change was Aaron Pitchkolan in central defense. Pitchkolan has generally served as a holding midfielder in his time in Dallas.
• "He did well and I was very pleased with him. He's only played there a couple of times," Morrow said. Said Pitchkolan: "It's tough when both teams play real solid defense and keep good shape. It's hard to break people down like that. I think they found the same thing against us that we found against them. It's hard to get behind and tough to create chances."
• The FC Dallas attack force of Ruiz, Oduro and Alvarez created 10 of the club's 14 shots on the day, but the best chance came from substitute Abe Thompson, a looping effort from long range that nearly caught out Zach Wells, but the Houston goalkeeper was able to snare it under the bar.
• "I thought they did well and all three of them looked dangerous throughout the game," Morrow said. "Dominic (Oduro) got tired toward the end and that's why we brought Abe (Thompson) on. Arturo (Alvarez) looked dangerous throughout the course of the game. Carlos (Ruiz) had a couple of half chances and one of them could have easily gone in. We created quite a bit up top and I am disappointed that one didn't fall for us."
• Said Thompson: "Zach (Wells) was off his line having just taken a goal kick on the opposite side. The ball was bouncing around and there weren't really any other options because there were three or four defenders in front of me, so I figured I would go for it. If I had been five yards further up the field or put a little more juice on it, we would have been in business."
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA won for the fourth time in their last five games, knocking off Eastern Conference leaders New England Revolution 2-0 at The Home Depot Center on Saturday evening. Chivas USA are still in third place in the Western Conference, now with 20 points from 12 matches, three behind Houston Dynamo and six behind pace-setting FC Dallas.
LAST MATCH
• Chivas USA were coming in off their first shutout in nine games, the loss to Houston Dynamo ending a five-game unbeaten streak. The Revolution had scored three goals in each of five of their previous seven games while moving to the top of the East.
• Once again it was Jesse Marsch who proved to be the difference against the Revs in southern California. A year ago, in front of the largest regular-season crowd in MLS history, Marsch scored the equalizing goal at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
• He literally reprised the effort in the 60th minute, Ante Razov standing up three New England defenders in the right side of the area before laying the ball back for Marsch, who hammered a first-time drive off the inside of the left post for his first goal on the year.
• Chivas went a man down in the 81st minute when Claudio Suarez was sent off after apparently elbowing Revolution forward Adam Cristman while challenging for a ball at midfield.
• But it was the home side that took advantage in the final minute. A long ball out of the back found Maykel Galindo racing forward on the left, and after juking past Jay Heaps, he launched a hooking shot that dipped over goalkeeper Matt Reis and inside the far post for his seventh goal on the campaign.
• Chivas USA head coach Preki made three changes to the team that lost 4-0 to Houston Dynamo 10 days before at Robertson Stadium. Shavar Thomas was suspended and Sacha Kljestan and Brad Guzan called into the U.S. national team, so Lawson Vaughn came in at right back and Jason Hernandez into central defense, while Preston Burpo once again deputized between the posts.
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Preston Burpo - Lawson Vaughn (Laurent Merlin 71), Claudio Suarez, Jason Hernandez, Orlando Perez - Alex Zotinca, Paulo Nagamura, Jesse Marsch, Francisco Mendoza - Maykel Galindo (Erasmo Solorzano 92+), Ante Razov (John Cunliffe 84). Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Burling, Anthony Hamilton, Rodrigo Lopez, Justin Myers
• "From the first moment, I thought we were pretty good," Preki said. "We had many opportunities in the first half that we couldn't really connect ... on the final pass. That's something we talked about at halftime and I thought we came out in the second half and played just as well."
TEAM NEWS
• Chivas had just one shot on goal in the first half and generated few scoring chances. The club had only two shots on goal in the second half but converted both.
• "The first half I thought wasn't so bad other than the fact that we weren't able to make a play in the final third to lead to us being really dangerous," Marsch said. "All in all, it was a pretty good, complete game."
• Marsch's goal was nearly a carbon copy of the one he scored at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, almost exactly a year earlier. That one was set up by Sacha Kljestan; the one at The Home Depot Center by Ante Razov.
• "I felt like I played quite poorly this evening," Razov said. "I was fortunate to contribute something to the team tonight. I was able to run at a guy and draw three guys and buy some time and someone had to be open. Jesse made a great run and so it was just up to get it to the proper foot in stride and Jesse hit a good shot."
• With the Thomas suspension and the three absences to international duty, Jason Hernandez started for the second time this season, in central defense, and Lawson Vaughn returned from an injury to play in his customary right back role. Alex Zotinca moved from right defense to right midfield. When Laurent Merlin came on for Vaughn in the 71st minute, Zotinca moved back to right back.
• "Around like the 50th minute I started getting tight in my muscles and I pushed through it but in the 70th minute when I went into a tackle with Khano [Smith] my left calf tightened up," Vaughn said. "I didn't want to push through it and be a liability and hurt my team so I told Preki and it was his choice and he took me out."
• It will be even more a makeshift lineup in Dallas, as Suarez and Paulo Nagamura will be suspended as well, though Thomas will again be available.
• "We needed three points, our team is doing very well we've lost only one in the last seven - now we will miss Claudio and Paulo [Nagamura] for next game ... in the end we needed three points because the next one is going to be tough," Marsch said.
• Since Jonathan Bornstein has left to join the U.S. national team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Chivas have won three of four, and won their first game after Guzan and Kljestan were also called into Bob Bradley's squad for Copa America.
• "I always tell my guys if we go out there and play hard and play for each other, we'll surprise people," Preki said. "I thought tonight the mentality of the team was right from the first moment. I was really proud of the way they stuck for each other and played given that we were missing four players."
