Although Chivas USA lost five players to international duty last week, the club had only a friendly match to prepare for at the start of last week.
When the club hits the training field on Tuesday, though, Chivas will have an important league match facing them on the weekend and will have to do so without two of their most important players.
Brad Guzan and Jonathan Bornstein will be at The Home Depot Center this week but will train with country instead of club. The Chivas duo is part of the United States' CONCACAF Gold Cup roster and will help defend the Stars and Stripes' 2005 title.
"It's great for guys like that to be involved in international games," Chivas USA coach Preki said.
Still, the club will have to make do without Bornstein, whose loss could be difficult to overcome. Since he joined the club in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, Bornstein has played every single minute save one in regular season and postseason games. When Chivas takes the field against Chicago at Toyota Park on Saturday, it will be the first time since the season-ending match against the MetroStars on Oct. 16, 2005 that Chivas will have played an MLS match without Bornstein.
"Hopefully he comes back in good spirits, healthy and ready to go," Preki said. "In the meantime, we hope he gets five or six good games and he grows as a player. Obviously if he plays in those types of games he can only grow as a player."
Still, Preki has options. Veteran Orlando Perez could make his first start of the season in Bornstein's spot. When then-coach Bob Bradley moved Bornstein to the midfield or up top last season, he often filled the left back role with Perez. In 2006, Perez started 11 games and appeared in 23 and logged a total of 1,173 minutes.
Guzan, though, will be available to Chivas. The third-choice goalkeeper on the U.S., Guzan will be used in the Gold Cup only if either Tim Howard or Kasey Keller is injured, Preki said.
Nonetheless, Preki said he expects both Guzan and Bornstein -- and possibly Sacha Kljestan -- to be gone for Copa America.
"I see Bob every day here so we talk about those things every day," Preki said. "We'll have those two gone for Copa America for sure."
Should Guzan and Bornstein leave -- a notion that Preki said would happen "for sure" -- the duo would likely miss three games. Bornstein meanwhile figures to miss six total matches should the U.S. reach the Gold Cup final.
If Guzan leaves for either tournament, the club has a dependable veteran to fall back on. Preston Burpo actually played more games than Guzan a year ago -- 19 to 13 -- and had a better record. Burpo finished with a 7-3-9 mark including a win and a shutout draw against the L.A. Galaxy while Guzan had 3-6-4 record.
"I'm here in case I'm needed. If Brad is gone for any period of time for Gold Cup or Copa America, I know my situation here right now," Burpo said. "I will happy to get a game."
With Guzan in top form since the preseason, Burpo has only two friendlies against USL First Division sides to show for since the season started. But he's not exactly trying to thrust himself ahead of Guzan in the depth chart.
"If you are going to go on league performance right now, is he a keeper that should be thought of for Copa America? Yes," Burpo said. "He's been the most consistent player for us. It would be pretty difficult for me to go into Preki's office right now to moan that I should e the number one because Brad has played great. But with that said, when he leaves I'm there to help the team win and when Brad comes back the spot is his."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
