CARSON, Calif. - With two games to go, Chivas USA is on the verge of clinching a playoff spot for the first time in club history.
But why wait for the season finale to secure a playoff spot? Chivas players and coaches said there was no sense in waiting until Oct. 15 to wrap up a postseason berth.
"For sure we'd like to get a good result in Kansas City and use the last game against Salt Lake to sharpen up some areas before the first playoff game," Chivas USA coach Bob Bradley said.
With a win at Kansas City, Chivas USA will become the third Western Conference team to clinch a playoff spot and would keep alive their hopes of securing home-field advantage in the Western Conference Semifinal Series.
Even a draw would secure a playoff spot as long as two of the three clubs beneath Chivas in the standings cooperate with losses and/or ties.
"We've got two games left," defender Orlando Perez. "If we can clinch on Saturday, it would be good for the team to gain confidence going into the playoffs. Hopefully we can scratch out last week's game and go into Kansas City and play a good game."
After last week's match, though, the club's task appears tougher. Chivas were routed 3-0 by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the final Super Clasico of the regular season.
A win at Kansas City would accomplish what a win against the Galaxy would have, but more importantly it will ensure that the season finale against Real Salt Lake will not carry with it extra weight.
"It takes away the pressure of coming in and having to face Salt Lake for a playoff spot," Perez said. "If we could clinch Saturday, it'd be great."
Ante Razov and Juan Pablo "Loco" Garcia each missed the match, though, to go along with Francisco Palencia, who has been sidelined since Sept. 13 with a sprained knee. Still, the output must improve this weekend regardless of who takes the field.
"We came up empty last week and on the inside we understood that that was a bad feeling and an issue from top to bottom and in terms of everybody being part of a poor effort," Bradley said. "I believe we'll respond and if we can use that to push (us), I think you'll see a strong mentality from here to the end."
Razov and Garcia each trained this week, though Bradley said Garcia was closer to playing than Razov. A decision on whether Razov would travel or not was to be made by Friday, when the club is slated to travel to the Midwest.
Garcia, meanwhile, said he was between 80-90 percent but hoped to be at 100 percent by game time.
"It would be difficult to come home and play an elimination game with Salt Lake for a playoff spot," Garcia said. "We have an opportunity to grab a playoff spot this weekend, however. It's in our hands and we hope to wrap it up on Saturday."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
