CARSON, Calif. — Chivas USA appear to be slipping a bit as of late, having won just once in their last six matches and with a difficult task upcoming against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
But while this may seem like a difficult situation, but it is one that the Rojiblancos know all too well.
Just a six weeks ago, after a tough loss to Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA traveled to Red Bull Arena to face the red-hot Red Bulls and were able to come away with a victory. It was a win that showed the league that the Rojiblancos have the ability to compete with the best in the league.
The Rojiblancos will now look to duplicate that feat as they travel to PPL Park on Saturday (8 pm ET, MatchDay Live) to take on a Philadelphia Union side that has yet to lose at home this season.
“It’s always a tough game, they haven’t lost at home yet and I know that PPL Park is a tough place to play, but it’ll be a good game regardless,” Pennsylvania native Zarek Valentin told MLSsoccer.com. “We’re a very good road team so we just need to focus on playing our game and if we can do that, then we’ll be difficult to beat wherever we play. If we focus on ourselves, we’ll be able to do something that no other team has done yet.”
While Chivas USA have just one win in six matches, Philadelphia are looking to rebound from their own struggles as of late. The Union have earned just one win in their last four matches and will be eager to keep pace with the Red Bulls for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
If Chivas are to earn a victory then they must stop forward Carlos Ruiz, who will play his second match for the Union after helping lead Guatemala to the Gold Cup quarterfinals.
Despite the Union’s recent scoring drought, head coach Robin Fraser is still worried about the Philadelphia threat.
“They’re organized and they’ve got a few players, who are really dangerous,” Fraser told Chivas USA's website. “It’s one of those things where we need to be really organized when we play them because they don’t open themselves up and give up a lot of chances, so we need to be smart and be patient.”
Adam Serrano covers Chivas USA for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached at adam.m.serrano@gmail.com and on Twitter: @adamserrano
