Chivas USA vs. San Jose Earthquakes | MLS Match Preview

CHIVAS USA vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
Oct. 26, 2014 (WEEK 33, MLS Game #321)
1:30 p.m. PT (KDOC; CSN-CA)

Chivas USA and the San Jose Earthquakes will bring down the curtain on the 2014 season when the Western Conference clubs meet Sunday afternoon at StubHub Center. Chivas USA return home for their final match of the campaign, coming off a 2-0 midweek loss at Real Salt Lake. The Earthquakes enter their final contest in the throes of a club-record 14-game winless streak, following their scoreless draw with Vancouver last week in their home finale.

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REFEREE: Sorin Stoica. AR1 (bench): Marco Arruda; AR2 (opposite): Felisha Mariscal; 4th: Baldomero Toledo
MLS Career: 28 games; FC/gm: 28.4; Y/gm: 4.3; R: 13; pens: 18

SUSPENDED: CHV: Marvín Chávez (through Oct. 26)
DISABLED LIST: CHV: Thomas McNamara … SJ: Tommy Muller
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (21 meetings): Chivas USA 7 wins, 21 goals … Earthquakes 8 wins, 30 goals … Ties 6
AT CHIVAS USA (10 meetings): Chivas USA 3 wins, 12 goals … Earthquakes 3 wins, 12 goals … Ties 4

2014 (MLS)
4/26: SJ 1, CHV 0 (Djalo 66)
7/2: SJ 0, CHV 1 (Torres 53)

• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Erick Torres scored the game’s only goal in the 57th minute to give Chivas USA the victory July 2 at Buck Shaw Stadium; Yannick Djaló scored the game’s only goal in the 66th minute to lead the Quakes to a victory April 26 in Santa Clara.
• The victory in the last meeting was the first for Chivas USA in the series since July 6, 2011. San Jose had a seven-game undefeated streak (5-0-2) in the all-time series before the result.
• Coaches record: Ian Russell v CHV: first game … Wilmer Cabrer vs. SJ: P2 W1 L1 D0

LAST MEETING (MLS)

• The game's lone goal came in the 53rd minute. A cross from Mauro Rosales from the right side glanced off the heads of two Quakes defenders and fell to Erick Torres at the far post, and the Mexican forward slotted it home to give Chivas USA a lead they would not relinquish.
• The best chance for the Earthquakes came in the 81st minute when Ty Harden’s header forced Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy to make a diving save, one of his three stops recorded on the evening.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-2): Jon Busch - Brandon Barklage (Victor Bernardez 79), Jason Hernandez, Ty Harden, Jordan Stewart (Mike Fucito 89) - Cordell Cato, Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi, Sam Cronin (Alan Gordon 71), Yannick Djalo - Khari Stephenson, Steven Lenhart.
• CHIVAS USA (4-4-2): Dan Kennedy - Donny Toia, Bobby Burling, Carlos Bocanegra, Tony Lochhead – Mauro Rosales (Andrew Jean-Baptiste 79), Oswaldo Minda, Marky Delgado, Eric Avila (Nathan Sturgis 68) – Ryan Finley (Leandro Barrera 71), Erick Torres.

CHIVAS USA

Chivas USA had their two-game winning streak put to an end, falling 2-0 to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. Chivas USA sit in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with 30 points from 33 games.

LAST MATCH

• Real were given the opening they needed in the 35th minute. RSL midfielder Javier Morales floated a free kick into the box and — as goalkeeper Dan Kennedy punched the ball away — referee Fotis Bazakos adjudged Alvaro Saborio had been pulled down from behind and pointed to the spot. Saborio easily converted the resulting penalty, sending it to Kennedy's right as the goalkeeper dove left.
• Chivas USA then went a man down in the 56th minute. Midfielder Marvin Chavez, frustrated after he dribbled the ball out of bounds, kicked the ball at the linesman and was immediately sent off by Bazakos.
• The game was put out of reach 16 minutes from the end. Joao Plata picked up the remains of a blocked pass, then sent a nice through ball for Kyle Beckerman who had snuck behind the Chivas backline, and he slotted home between Kennedy's legs for the clincher.
• Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera made two changes to the team that defeated the Colorado Rapids 2-1 at StubHub Center. Marvin Chavez came into the midfield in place of Oswaldo Minda, and Erick Torres started up top for Ryan Finley.
• CHIVAS USA (4-4-2): Dan Kennedy - Akira Kaji, Eriq Zavaleta (Jhon Kennedy Hurtado 46), Bobby Burling, Donny Toia - Marvin Chavez (ejected 56), Nigel Reo-Coker, Matthew Dunn, Leandro Barrera (Agustin Pelletieri 84) - Erick Torres, Felix Borja (Kris Tyrpak 75).

TEAM NEWS

• Chivas USA were shut out for a 14th time this season, matching the sixth-most times being shutout in a season in MLS history. Chivas USA have scored 28 goals in 33 games this season, the only team in the league averaging less than a goal scored per game.
• “I think we came out in the first 30 minutes, and they had the majority of possession, which they usually do, especially at home. They’re a good side. They like to pass the ball around the park and really came out firing in the first 20 minutes,” defender Bobby Burling said. “I thought we did a good, decent job of staying behind the ball and not giving them too many chances. I think one call kind of changed the game there and whether it was the right call or wrong call, I think it definitely changed the game at that point.”
• Erick Torres returned to the lineup after missing the Colorado match while on international duty, when he scored his first full international goal for Mexico vs. Panama.
• There was an injury-forced substitution as Eriq Zavaleta suffered a hamstring strain in the first half, taken off in favor of Jhon Kennedy Hurtado at the halftime interval.
• “It was one of those things that happens throughout the course of a game or a season. Jhon’s a professional. He came in and did a good job for us. I don’t think we really missed a beat back there with that. The red card definitely hurt us as well,” said defender Bobby Burling. “You take a look at two or three different plays that kind of maybe changed the game a little bit, but definitely Jhon coming in for Zavaleta, he did a good job, and hopefully Zavaleta will be all right with the hamstring.”
• Marvin Chavez made his first start since Sept. 21, coming in as a wide midfielder. But Chavez will miss out on the Chivas USA finale, after being sent off early in the second half.
• “I said to Marvin, you should go and apologize to the linesman because he [Chavez] didn’t try [to hit him]. We all know Marvin, he didn’t try to hit the referee because he’s not that type of person. He just tried to kick the ball away, but that’s that situation,” said Cabrera. “When you have 10 men, [RSL] just continued moving the ball and they had the second goal. It came in a moment where we were trying to hold, and trying to bring some new guys.”
• Chivas USA still have their sights set on a seventh-place finish in the Western Conference, which would be their highest placing in the division since 2009, the last of their four appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• “The guys … had to over-run today with 10 men for 30 minutes. So, try to rest, try to recover and on Sunday, we have the last game of the season. We’re going to finish at home against San Jose, and we’ll see,” said Cabrera. “If we win, we could finish over two other teams in MLS, something that didn’t happen for this franchise in a couple of years.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

The San Jose Earthquakes saw their club-record winless streak extended to 14 games, reaching a scoreless draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes are in a tie for ninth place in the Western Conference with 30 points from 33 games.

LAST MATCH

• Whitecaps FC goalkeeper David Ousted was called upon to make three saves, his best stop in the first half when he got down quickly enough to parry a shot from Chris Wondolowski.
• San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch had to made just one save, in the 75th minute, when Kekuta Manneh’s shot from the corner of the 6-yard box caromed off the chest of Busch, who came off his line well.
• Quakes interim head coach Ian Russell made five changes to the team that fell 2-0 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Jason Hernandez and Victor Bernardez came into the back four for JJ Koval and Ty Harden, Sam Cronin and Atiba Harris started in midfield in place of Tommy Thompson and Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi, and Chris Wondolowski came in up top in favor of Adam Jahn.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-1-4-1): Jon Busch - Pablo Pintos (Shaun Francis 78), Jason Hernandez, Victor Bernardez, Jordan Stewart - Sam Cronin, Shea Salinas (Matias Perez Garcia 71), Khari Stephenson, Yannick Djalo, Atiba Harris - Chris Wondolowski.

TEAM NEWS

• The Earthquakes saw their winless streak extended to a club-record 14 games – matching the fifth-longest in MLS history – in the scoreless draw with Portland. The Quakes last won on Aug. 2.
• "The whole back four was fabulous. It started with the first line and the midfield five putting pressure on Vancouver. They made it easier for the back four and I think the defense really stood out tonight. They made it very, very difficult for Vancouver,” said interim head coach Ian Russell.
• Said goalkeeper Jon Busch: “The boys played fantastic in front of me. I really didn’t have much to see from a shot perspective, which is a testament to them. We all knew that after a disappointing season we wanted to end our run at Buck Shaw with a victory against a playoff caliber team. Although we didn’t get that goal, our work ethic was unbelievable tonight and it’s fitting we end our time here with another strong defensive showing.”
• The game was the last scheduled to be played at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University, before the Quakes move into their new purpose-built stadium for the 2015 stadium. The Quakes concluded their time in the cozy Buck Shaw confines with a five-game winless streak.
• “I think over the last seven years we’ve played here, more often than not it’s been a tough place for opponents to win. Defensively, we’ve been solid, although we’ve let up a little this year,” said defender Jason Hernandez. “For our fans to come out to Buck Shaw [Stadium] one last time and see us pitch another shut out make our unit proud. We’re going to miss this place. Our fans brought a ton of energy week-in and week-out, through our ups and downs. We have a lot of respect for these fans and we’re hoping they follow us into the new stadium, on to bigger and better things.”
• The game was the first in charge for Russell, who will guide the team’s bench fortunes for the final two league matches. Current Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear will take the reins for the 2015 season.
• “It felt really nice. I was happy with the players’ energy tonight. I thought they brought it tonight. I was very happy with the effort,” Russell said.
• The Quakes were shut out for a fourth consecutive match and saw their current goalless drought stretched to 304 minutes, the 10th-longest in MLS this season. Chivas USA holds the longest at 597 minutes.
• Chris Wondolowski returned from international duty as the lone out-and-out striker, with Sam Cronin playing the windshield-wiper role behind a four-man block in the midfield.
• “I had a more defined role of sitting in front of the back and taking [Pedro Morales] out of the game,” Cronin said. “I thought for the most part, we limited his space and time on the ball.” Added Russell: “The main thing we stressed was closing down space, limiting them, and they did it tonight. They made it very, very difficult for Vancouver.”