CARSON, Calif. - In the first game against their biggest rival this season, Chivas USA's players said they did not come prepared.
From the opening minutes, Chivas USA showed a lack of focus and broke down easily against a charged-up Galaxy squad. The result was a 3-1 setback as the Red-and-White lost their eighth game in 10 all-time meetings against the Galaxy.
For Ante Razov, the effort was not nearly good enough.
"We didn't get it done. We put ourselves behind on silly plays that we're supposed to be good at three games in," the Chivas forward said. "We've got a long way to go. This is a man's game and guys need to step up."
Eight minutes in, Claudio Suarez and Brad Guzan collided after Kyle Martino whipped a cross into the area. The ball fell to Landon Donovan's feet and the Galaxy star easily knocked it into the back of the net.
Suarez took responsibility for the breakdown.
"I was going for the ball and Brad came out and we crashed," Suarez said. "When I heard him, I tried to stop but I think I needed to be more assertive and should have gone to the ball."
Chivas tried to answer quickly but Joe Cannon turned away a pair of Chivas USA shots - including a point-blank header from Alex Zotinca off a corner kick. The Galaxy scored the next goal instead, despite Chivas' efforts to level terms.
"There was plenty of time to get an equalizer but it was the exact opposite," Suarez said. "They made a great play and we made another mistake. We shouldn't have let the player get behind us that easily."
On the eventual match-winner, Kevin Harmse and Donovan connected on a give-and-go. Harmse slipped a pass to Donovan and skirted past Jesse Marsch and Lawson Vaughn as Donovan played the ball back to his feet. Harmse walked in on Guzan and slipped the ball past him.
Two goals in the first 17 minutes was not nearly what Chivas USA players had hoped for. Nevertheless, however, it was likely a reflection of the players' lack of focus and intensity.
"We didn't come out with the intensity we needed to. I think we did in the second half but at the beginning of the game we needed to come out with a little more focus, a little more intensity," Vaughn said. "It's an individual thing. Everybody needs to be focused and have the right mentality before the games."
Razov said the club put itself in a horrible situation from the start. Facing an opponent as focused and talented as the Galaxy only made things worse.
"In these kinds of games, if you don't come out and play 100 percent like they did, you've got one or two guys strolling around, you are going to be in big trouble," Razov said. "We're going to have some serious conversations this next week."
Preki made one substitution at halftime. He took out Jason Hernandez, who started at right back to help counter Sacha Kljestan's absence, and sent on former Galaxy trialist Laurent Merlin. In the 56th minute, Preki took out Amado Guevara in favor of rookie John Cunliffe.
When asked about the move, Preki called into question Guevara's play and focus.
"Defensively he wasn't just working hard. In a game like this, you need 11 guys to fight for each other," Preki said. "When you put on a Chivas jersey and you go out there, you have to represent that with a lot of pride. In my opinion he wasn't the Amado Guevara that we know so we gave somebody else a chance."
Guevara, though, said he respected Preki's decision.
"He's the boss. He's the leader and he makes those decisions," Guevara said. "I think at that moment it was the best one but I respect the decision."
Chivas pulled a goal back with Guevara on the bench as Suarez scored his seventh goal in a Chivas USA jersey. But Chivas' efforts went by the wayside when the Galaxy pounced on a counterattack in the 78th minute.
The play, though, seemed strange. Galaxy defender Chris Albright fell to the ground in apparent pain. After a stoppage in play, Galaxy trainers helped Albright off the field. He walked to the center of the field as Chivas prepared for a throw-in but was not let back on the field right away.
The play started and moments later, referee Jair Marrufo motioned for Albright to step on. The ball bounced toward Albright and eventually fell to Donovan, who raced down the right flank and fed Cobi Jones. The Galaxy veteran slammed the ball into the back of the net and the Galaxy took a commanding 3-1 lead.
"At that point, we're still in the game. We're pushing and in my view dominating the second half," Preki said of the time leading up the counterattack. "It's extremely hard to make the decision to let the player come on from the sideline in a crucial moment like that. He steals the ball and they go on a breakaway. Obviously 3-1 and at that point the game is over."
The next Super Clasico will also be the next Chivas USA home match as the two sides will face off again on May 20. Whether Chivas USA has better luck that match depends on the players who will play in that game, Guzan said.
"You create your own luck, whether that's against the Galaxy, Toronto, Salt Lake or whatever," he said. "You're going to have nights like that. You've got to pick your heads up, move on. It's a long season. We're only four games in. We've got a lot of games ahead of us."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
