CHIVAS USA vs HOUSTON DYNAMO
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
Oct. 25, 2009 (WEEK 32) / MLS Game #224
12 noon PT (TeleFutura; FSN-PT)
The final seeding for the Western Conference Semifinal Series will come down to Sunday afternoon's regular season finale between Chivas USA and the Houston Dynamo. The teams have already secured their postseason berths, as have the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC - who those teams play and who will have home-field advantage will be determined by the weekend's results. Chivas comes into the game having had their six-game unbeaten run snapped at midweek by Chicago, while the Dynamo have won just once in the last six and were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League in a loss in El Salvador at midweek.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. SAR (bench): Fabio Tovar; JAR (opposite): Peter Manikowski; 4th: Yader Reyes
MLS Career: 182 games; FC/gm: 26.1; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 50; pens: 36
INJURY REPORT: CHIVAS USA - OUT: DF Jim Curtin (L ankle surgery); MF Kevin Harmse (R knee tendonitis); GK Dan Kennedy (R knee surgery); FW Ante Razov (R ankle tendonitis); MF Bojan Stepanovic (R knee injury); MF Sasha Victorine (concussion); QUESTIONABLE: MF Chukwudi Chijindu (L foot contusion); MF Jesse Marsch (concussion); GK Lance Parker (R quad strain); DF Claudio Suárez (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: MF Paulo Nagamura (L foot contusion) ... HOUSTON DYNAMO - OUT: MF Corey Ashe (R knee sprain); DF Richard Mulrooney (R knee surgery); DOUBTFUL: DF Danny Cruz (R foot strain); MF Ricardo Clark (L knee sprain); FW Cam Weaver (L knee sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: HOU: Brian Ching (through Oct. 25)
WARNINGS:
FINED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Yamith Cuesta, Eduardo Lillingston, Jesse Marsch ... HOU: Mike Chabala, Brian Ching, Brad Davis
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (11 meetings): Chivas USA 1 win, 6 goals ... Dynamo 5 wins, 17 goals ... Ties 5
AT HOME DEPOT CENTER (4 meetings): Chivas USA 1 wins, 5 goal ... Dynamo 0 wins, 4 goals ... Ties 3
• The Dynamo extended their unbeaten streak vs. Chivas USA to seven league games - and eight in all competitions - in the 1-0 win in the first meeting this year.
• When Chivas USA got a Jim Curtin goal in the final minute of last year's season finale to secure a 1-1 draw, it was the Red-and-White first goal against Houston in 663 league minutes, dating back to a 3-2 win at The Home Depot Center on Aug. 26, 2006. Chivas did not score in the next six meetings - including the first two meetings last year, before the Oct. 25 final.
• The last time Chivas USA had scored in a league match against Houston also came in their only victory against the Dynamo in 11 all-time league meetings. The Dynamo had won three of the intervening six matches, with three draws.
• Chivas scored a goal in their first ever appearance at Robertson Stadium - a 3-1 loss on July 8, 2006 - and have not scored since. That's now a scoreless streak of 555 minutes entering the game in league play in the Space City (and 645 minutes in all competitions)
• The teams also met in the 2006 Western Conference Semifinal Series, won 3-2 on aggregate by Houston, including a 2-0 victory at Robertson Stadium.
• Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. CHV: P15 W7 L1 D7 ... Preki v HOU: P7 W0 L4 D3
LAST MEETING (MLS)
6/10: HOU 1, CHV 0 (Holden 47+)
• The Dynamo maintained their dominance over Chivas USA in a 1-0 victory June 10 at Robertson Stadium.
• The teams came in having allowed just a combined 16 goals on the season, the top two defenses in the league, and it was never in doubt the game would be a tight defensive struggle.
• The game's lone goal came two minutes into first-half stoppage time. Pat Onstad hoofed a goal kick downfield, Cam Weaver flicked it on with a header inside the Chivas half, and that sprung Stuart Holden, who raced in alone on Zach Thornton before rounding him for his third goal in as many games and fourth on the year.
• The Dynamo put the clamps on the Chivas attack on a hot, steamy night in south Texas, as Onstad was forced to make just one save for his seventh shutout of the season, tying him with Thornton for the league lead.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Craig Waibel, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Andrew Hainault - Brian Mullan, Richard Mulrooney, Brad Davis (Corey Ashe 88) - Stuart Holden - Kei Kamara (Ade Akinbiyi 85), Cam Weaver (Dominic Oduro 74). Subs Not Used: Wade Barrett, Mike Chabala, Danny Cruz, Tally Hall
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Zach Thornton - Jim Curtin (Claudio Suarez 73), Carey Talley, Shavar Thomas, Jorge Flores - Michael Lahoud (Eduardo Lillingston 60), Jesse Marsch (Alecko Eskandarian 66), Paulo Nagamura, Sasha Victorine - Atiba Harris, Maykel Galindo. Substitutes Not Used: Ante Jazic, Gerson Mayen, Lance Parker, Bojan Stepanovic
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA saw their bid to win the Supporters' Shield come to an end Thursday, falling 1-0 to the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. Chivas have 45 points from 29 matches, still in a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo.
LAST MATCH
• The Fire came into the game knowing a win or a draw would secure their place in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs, despite riding a six-game winless run. Chivas USA had a game in hand over the remainder of the league, still the only team capable of catching Columbus while on a six-game unbeaten run.
• Lashing rain and standing water on parts of the field made playing conditions difficult, and the game's lone goal came in the 67th minute. Just three minutes after having come on as a substitute, Cuauhtémoc Blanco whipped in a corner kick - one of 14 on the night for the Fire - and Eduardo Lillingston powered a header into his own goal.
• Jon Busch was credited with three saves on the night as the Fire secured not only their place in the top eight, but also home-field advantage for the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series.
• Chivas USA coach Preki made six changes to the team that drew 2-2 with the San Jose Earthquakes the weekend before. Mariano Trujillo and Shavar Thomas came into the back, Jesus Padilla, Gerson Mayen and Marcelo Saragosa started in the midfield and Eduardo Lillingston up top, with Jesse Marsch injured and Ante Jazic, Michael Lahoud, Carey Talley, Paulo Nagamura and Justin Braun going to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Zach Thornton - Mariano Trujillo (Paulo Nagamura 46), Yamith Cuesta, Shavar Thomas, Jonathan Bornstein - Jesus Padilla, Gerson Mayen (Maicon Santos 62), Marcelo Saragosa, Sacha Kljestan - Eduardo Lillingston, Maykel Galindo (Justin Braun 54). Substitutes Not Used: Jon Conway, Ante Jazic, Michael Lahoud, Carey Talley
• "I thought 0-0 was probably a fair result," Preki said. "Maybe they had a little bit more opportunities than us. I thought both teams would settle for a draw because it's a rainy night and a heavy field. Not really good conditions for a game."
TEAM NEWS
• Chivas came into their final two games knowing two wins would give them the Supporters' Shield for the first time in club history - as well as home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs. They can still finish atop the West and with home field for a Western Conference Semifinal Series - but if LA wins Saturday, the Galaxy will be guaranteed of the top seed in the West.
• "We need to take care of business and we haven't," Preki said. "We lost that chance, but hopefully we regain our form on Sunday and put ourselves in a good spot to get home-field advantage, at least in the first round."
• However, a Chivas loss and a Seattle win - and even a Sounders FC tie in some cases - and Chivas will end up fourth in the West.
• "This is a tough place to play in," Chivas midfielder Sacha Kljestan said. "We were creating chances, and our defense played well. We were trying to score until the end. We didn't come here to lose."
• Chivas USA had come into the game with four shutouts in their last six games. With the one goal conceded, they are now one goal behind Houston (and tied with Seattle) in the ranking of best defenses in the league, with one match left to play.
• "Defensively we did a good job," defender Shavar Thomas said. "We defended by trying to keep the ball away from them. But we gave up way too many opportunities on set pieces."
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo were held to yet another draw, this time a scoreless result against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday afternoon at Robertson Stadium. The Dynamo have 45 points from 29 matches, still in a three-way tie atop the Western Conference with the Galaxy and Chivas USA, entering the final weekend of the season.
LAST MATCH
• The Dynamo and Galaxy entered the game level atop the West, the Dynamo defeating Real Salt Lake to snap a four-game winless run last time out, while were coming off a home win against Chicago two weeks earlier.
• The closest either team came to scoring was in the second half. Edson Buddle popped the ball over Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad after he came off his line, but just before the ball entered the goal, Geoff Cameron was able to clear it away with a bicycle kick.
• The Dynamo once again finished the game with 10 men as Brian Ching was sent off in the 82nd minute by referee Kevin Stott.
• Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made one change to the team that drew 1-1 with the Kansas City Wizards on Oct. 4. Brian Ching returned from international duty, replacing the suspended Cam Weaver.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2):Pat Onstad - Andrew Hainault, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Mike Chabala - Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis - Stuart Holden - Brian Ching, Luis Angel Landin (Dominic Oduro 85). Substitutes Not Used: Wade Barrett, Ryan Cochrane, Tally Hall, Eddie Robinson, Abe Thompson, Craig Waibel
TEAM NEWS
• Once again, the Dynamo had a player sent off in Brian Ching, who will be suspended for the season finale. It was the fifth consecutive game Houston had seen a player shown a red card, and their eighth of the season, with seven of the ejections have coming in the last eight games, since Aug. 6.
• "It's not because it is Brian Ching," said Kinnear. "It's because it is a player who plays, who is an important player. And if you look at the guys who have been red-carded, they are all important players. They are guys that play significant and important minutes for us. And today, it's not just about the six minutes that he missed. It's 90 next week. We've talked about it, but I can't put an earpiece in their ear and tell them to just walk away from situations. Our guy just made a bad decision today."
• The Dynamo have taken just five points of a possible 15 in that stretch where they seen a red card, and are 2-3-3 in their last eight contests.
• "We've been hurting ourselves. Almost everybody in here at some point has received a red card," said Brad Davis. "The game against Chivas, we need Ching, but now we don't have him. We just need to calm down a little bit and keep our heads in the game. I know we all want to stick up for each other, but we need to know that that stuff is going to hurt us."
• Then on Wednesday, the Dynamo were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League at the group stage when they lost 3-2 to El Salvador's Isidro Metapan. Knowing they needed a win to move on, the Dynamo conceded two goals in the opening 10 minutes then saw a deflected free kick from 40 yards hit home for the game-winner. It was Metapan's first win of the competition.
• Geoff Cameron pulled a goal back in the 28th minute, converting a Brian Ching pass, then goalkeeper Tally Hall scored a bizarre goal just before halftime, his long downfield clearance bouncing in the penalty area and into the goal as Ching and goalkeeper Jose Gonzalez both went up for it and missed.
• Here's Kinnear's team: Tally Hall, Craig Waibel, Eddie Robinson, Ryan Cochrane, Erik Ustruck (Abe Thompson 75), John Michael Hayden (Stuart Holden 46), Geoff Cameron, Brad Davis (Mike Chabala 71), Wade Barrett, Brian Ching, Dominic Oduro.
