Chivas USA's Ante Razov scored a tremendous goal late in the second half, his second of the match, to give the Red-and-White a 2-1 win against the Kansas City Wizards at The Home Depot Center on Saturday.
The result was enough to see Chivas USA through to the postseason for the second consecutive season. A year ago, Chivas USA clinched their first-ever playoff spot in their penultimate match, a 2-1 loss at Kansas City. This season, Chivas USA have five matches left to play and can already plan on participating in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Technically, Real Salt Lake had already helped Chivas into the postseason. With RSL's 1-0 win against the Rapids earlier Saturday, Chivas clinched a postseason berth.
Still, the win gives Chivas USA three points as the Red-and-White moved back into first place in the Western Conference. Chivas USA are two points ahead of Houston Dynamo, who will visit Chivas USA on Oct. 20, each club's regular-season finale. A year ago, Houston knocked Chivas USA out of the playoffs in a hard-fought quarterfinal series.
In addition, Chivas are just two points behind D.C. United in the race for the Supporters' Shield, with five games remaining for both teams.
Against Kansas City on Saturday, Chivas USA made do without midfielder Jesse Marsch who sat out the match because of a suspension for yellow-card accumulation.
Early in the match, Chivas USA defender Shavar Thomas and Kansas City forward Eddie Johnson were tangled inside the box in the seventh minute and Johnson fell to the ground but no penalty call was made.
Lawson Vaughn slipped a ball to Maykel Galindo on the quarter hour. Galindo turned and fired a shot from just inside the penalty area but his blast went just wide of the goal.
Sacha Kljestan nearly connected with Galindo with a pass in the top of the six-yard box but Kljestan's attempt went into a group of Wizards defenders and did not make it to Galindo's feet.
Galindo had another attempt inside the area in the 44th minute but could not place a shot on goal. Kljestan fed to Paulo Nagamura, who fed Galindo at the top of the area. Galindo's attempt, though, rolled harmlessly wide of the net.
Brad Guzan kept the Wizards from going ahead when he turned Johnson away with a sliding save. Johnson came strolling onto the end of a low cross from the right flank with only the Chivas 'keeper to beat, but Guzan kicked away his shot from 12 yards out.
With the match seemingly headed for a scoreless draw, some crisp passing and lethal finishing changed quickly changed that. Ramon Nunez, who replaced Alex Zotinca in the 59th minute, fed Francisco Mendoza down the left flank. Mendoza beat Kansas City's offside trap and raced down the left side of the area. He placed a ball to the far post where Razov ran on to it and buried the ball into the roof of the goal.
But Kansas City responded not three minutes later. Johnson outran Chivas' defense to the penalty area and rattled a shot off the crossbar. The ball fell to Eloy Colombano's feet and with Guzan on the ground easily knocked the ball into the back of the net.
Razov won the game in stoppage time when he curled a 22-yarder past Hartman. A wonderful passing sequence saw Chivas work the ball from one side to the other. On the right flank, Lawson Vaughn found Razov outside the right corner of the area. He turned and bent his attempt over Hartman's head and into the back of the net.
Razov raced toward the corner of the stands, tore off his shirt and celebrated the victory before a buoyant audience in front of him. For Razov, it was the 109th league goal of his career, moving him past RSL head coach Jason Kreis into second on the all-time list, now just one goal behind D.C. United's Jaime Moreno as the league's all-time leader.
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
