CHIVAS USA vs KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
Oct. 10, 2009 (WEEK 30) / MLS Game #209
7:30 p.m. PT (FSN-PT; MetroSports)
A pair of teams facing a must-win for differing reasons meet at The Home Depot Center when Chivas USA entertain the Kansas City Wizards. For the Wizards, it's quite simple: a loss to Chivas and New England taking a point on Saturday, or a draw and a New England win, and they will be eliminated from playoff contention. Chivas sits in third place in the Western Conference, just three points behind co-leaders Houston and Los Angeles, but have two games in hand on both clubs and will own home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs if they win out.
REFEREE: Yader Reyes. SAR (bench): Corey Rockwell; JAR (opposite): Frank Anderson; 4th: Ramon Hernandez
MLS Career: 5 games; FC/gm: 22.2; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 1; pens: 0
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: GK Lance Parker (R quad strain); FW Maicon Santos (R knee injury); PROBABLE: MF Paulo Nagamura (L foot contusion); FW Jesús Padilla (R ankle sprain) ... KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: GK Eric Kronberg (shoulder surgery); MF Kevin Souter (sports hernia surgery); FW Adam Cristman (abdominal strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CHV: Jonathan Bornstein (USA; Oct. 10 vs. Honduras) ... KC: Jimmy Conrad (USA; Oct. 10 vs. Honduras)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Eduardo Lillingston, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura ... KC: Santiago Hirsig, Kei Kamara, Claudio Lopez, Lance Watson
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Sacha Kljestan, Bojan Stepanovic, Mariano Trujillo ... KC: Davy Arnaud, Roger Espinoza, Herculez Gomez, Michael Harrington, Jonathan Leathers
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (9 meetings): Chivas USA 2 wins, 12 goals ... Wizards 4 wins, 16 goals ... Ties 3
AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER (4 meetings): Chivas USA 2 wins, 6 goals ... Wizards 0 wins, 4 goals ... Ties 2
• The Wizards have never lost to Chivas USA at home, in six meetings all-time in all competitions. Chivas USA have never lost to Kansas City at home, with two wins and three draws in all competitions.
• The teams split their season series for the second consecutive season last year - and for the second consecutive year, the scores were identical: Kansas City winning 3-2 at home, and Chivas winning 2-1 at home.
• Sasha Victorine scored for both teams in last year's series. He netted the opener for the Wizards in the game at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, then scored the eventual game-winner for Chivas in the second game after his trade between the clubs.
• The Chivas USA win on Sept. 22, 2007 was their first ever against the Wizards. In the first two seasons of the club's existence, Kansas City won both meetings at Arrowhead Stadium, and came away with draws in both games on Victoria Street.
• The teams also met in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2007, and again the Wizards ruled victorious, winning the first leg at home thanks to a goal from Davy Arnaud (35), then playing to a scoreless draw at The Home Depot Center.
• Coaches record: Preki vs. KC: P5 W2 L2 D1 ... Peter Vermes v CHV: first game
LAST MEETING (MLS)
5/23: KC 1, CHV 1 (Lillingston 64 - Lopez 56)
• The Kansas City Wizards finished the game with just nine men, but still held out for a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA in the first meeting between the teams, May 23 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
• After a tight, cagey first half, the game burst into life after the break. The Wizards took the lead in the 56th minute when Claudio Lopez swung in a masterful free kick from the right side, inside the near post from some 25 yards, for his fourth goal on the season and second directly from a free kick in three weeks.
• Chivas pulled level eight minutes later. A freekick wasn't completely cleared and Sasha Victorine stabbed it forward to Eduardo Lillingston on the edge of the 6-yard box, who turned and knocked it home. For Victorine, it was the second goal he's been involved in in as many games against his former club.
• Four minutes later, Wizards forward Josh Wolff was sent off after a skirmish with Chivas USA defender Mariano Trujillo following a foul outside the Chivas area. The home side were left two players down for the final seven minutes when midfielder Santiago Hirsig was sent off for a second bookable offense, but Chivas could not capitalize.
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-1-3-2): Kevin Hartman - Lance Watson, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, Matt Besler - Santiago Hirsig - Davy Arnaud (Michael Kraus 93+), Jack Jewsbury, Roger Espinoza (Herculez Gomez 71) - Claudio Lopez (Michael Harrington 84), Josh Wolff. Substitutes Not Used: Rauwshan McKenzie, Kurt Morsink, Boris Pardo, Abe Thompson
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Zach Thornton - Mariano Trujillo, Carey Talley, Shavar Thomas (Bojan Stepanovic 84), Jonathan Bornstein - Sacha Kljestan (Sasha Victorine 46), Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura, Atiba Harris - Maykel Galindo, Chukwudi Chijindu (Eduardo Lillingston 58). Substitutes Not Used: Justin Braun, Jim Curtin, Gerson Mayen, Lance Parker
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA extended their undefeated streak to four games with an impressive away victory, defeating D.C. United 2-0 on Saturday evening at RFK Stadium. Chivas have 41 points from 26 matches, now in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with Seattle, five points behind division leaders Houston Dynamo.
LAST MATCH
• United were coming off back-to-back losses - both at home, after going unbeaten on East Capitol Street in their first 11 league games. Chivas USA were unbeaten in three in a row, with draws in their last two.
• Yet the visitors bossed the match from start to finish, scoring on either side of halftime. In the 32nd minute, Maicon Santos came in on the left and hammered a drive that rattled off the face of the goalpost, hit the back of diving goalkeeper Milos Kocic as he dove past the shot, and trickled back across the goal line.
• Then in the 53rd minute, Jonathan Bornstein flighted a long free kick into the United penalty area, where Jesus Padilla challenged D.C. defender Marc Burch for it. The ball came off Burch's head and fell straight down to Padilla, and he turned a fired a shot inside the right-hand post for his first MLS goal.
• United's miserable night was completed in the 65th minute when Ben Olsen was sent off with a straight red card.
• Chivas USA coach Preki made no changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls the week before at The Home Depot Center.
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Zach Thornton - Carey Talley, Jonathan Bornstein, Yamith Cuesta, Ante Jazic - Jesus Padilla (Jesse Marsch 64), Michael Lahoud, Paulo Nagamura, Sacha Kljestan - Justin Braun, Maicon Santos (Maykel Galindo 74). Substitutes Not Used: Jon Conway, Eduardo Lillingston, Claudio Suarez, Shavar Thomas, Mariano Trujillo
TEAM NEWS
• Sitting three points out of first place in the Western Conference entering the weekend, first place in the division and home-field advantage is still well within reach of Chivas. They have played two fewer games that all the other teams around them in the conference; one of the games in hand comes this weekend against Kansas City. A win against Kansas City and a Toronto FC tie or loss earlier Saturday means Chivas will clinch a playoff berth.
• "We said before the (D.C.) game we have all these games in hand but they mean nothing unless you get some points," Preki said. "And we threw a couple of points away last weekend against New York at home so we had to make sure tonight we got something in this place."
• Chivas have now kept clean sheets in three of the last four games and five of the last seven, showing signs of returning of their form at the start of the campaign where they posted shutouts in six of their first nine games.
• "Lately, no matter who we play against, we feel like we start the game better when we try to put the pressure on the other team," said Sacha Kljestan. "We try to play in the other team's half."
• While not credited with the opening goal, Maicon Santos has contributed one goal and one assist since moving into a starting role seven matches ago. Jesus Padilla came through with his first goal since entering the lineup at the exact same time, Aug. 22 vs. Toronto.
• "Maicon, he's our set-up goal force. He scored one this year since he's been in and finally Jesus [Padilla] was able to get on the scoresheet for us. And I know that it's something he really wanted and maybe it was a little pressure he was putting on himself to get [a goal], hopefully this will help him a lot," said Carey Talley. "But I was happy to see both those guys, anytime you get any guys who are new or just coming in, contributing as it is so we're happy with it."
• Chivas conclude the season with three of the final four games at The Home Depot Center, where they have won eight games in 12 starts and allowed a league-low nine goals in home games. After the win against D.C. United, their four wins away from home are tied for third-most in MLS.
• "It's very important," said Kljestan. "When you look at the standings now after tonight you will find that everything is really close but three points is always good especially on the road and especially this late in the season."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards ran their late-year undefeated streak to four games, coming back for a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Sunday afternoon at Robertson Stadium. The Wizards have 32 points from 27 matches, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, 14 points behind first-place Columbus.
LAST MATCH
• The Dynamo had put an end to a four-game winless run in their last league match two weeks earlier, while the Wizards had three wins and a draw in their last five games as they bid to stay alive in the postseason race.
• After just 17 minutes, the home side went a man down, when forward Cam Weaver was sent off for a challenge on Kansas City midfielder Santiago Hirsig in midfield.
• Yet the Dynamo took the lead just nine minutes later. Brian Mullan sent in a low rolling cross from the right flank that made it all the way across the face of goal to the back post, and Luis Angel Landin tapped home from on the doorstep for his first MLS goal.
• The Wizards finally took advantage of their man-up situation in the 73rd minute. Claudio Lopez dropped an inch-perfect ball over the top of the Dynamo back line, and Zoltan Hercegfalvi hit a full volley in full stride in the penalty area for his first MLS goal and the equalizer.
• Wizards interim head coach Peter Vermes made no changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw with the Colorado Rapids the Saturday previous at CommunityAmerica Ballpark
• Here's Vermes' team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Jonathan Leathers, Matt Besler (Chance Myers 76), Jimmy Conrad, Michael Harrington (Graham Zusi 67) - Davy Arnaud, Santiago Hirsig, Jack Jewsbury, Claudio Lopez - Kei Kamara (Zoltan Hercegfalvi 62), Josh Wolff. Substitutes Not Used: Roger Espinoza, Aaron Hohlbein, Matt Marquess, Boris Pardo
TEAM NEWS
• While the draw against the Western Conference leaders was a quality result, playing a man up for nearly the entirety of the match and building off their late-season run with a playoff position still within reach, the tie was a blow to the Wizards' hopes.
• "It was a playoff game for us and it was a must-win," said Peter Vermes. "Mathematically we are still alive, but we lost a huge opportunity today."
• Still six points out of eighth place overall and the final wild card spot with just three games left to be played, the Wizards could be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to Chivas USA and a New England win or tie vs. Columbus, or with a loss or draw against Chivas and a Revolution victory.
• "Very disappointing," said Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad. "We had some chances, enough to probably win the game. Bane of our existence is when we go a man up, we can't seem to break them down. Credit to the other team for being organized and they got one on us. Houston's a good team and they showed why."
• Trying to change his team's fortunes over the final quarter of the match, Vermes brought on Graham Zusi in a wide midfield role and Zoltan up top in place of Kei Kamara, given the start against the team he was traded from just a few weeks earlier. Zoltan did come through with his first MLS goal in seven appearances (all as a substitute).
• "We go down a goal and now we're chasing the game and they can sit back and put themselves in a shell and they did a good job, defended well, and those guys can fight and get points," said Vermes. "It became difficult for us to break down that shell. In the second half, we wanted to move the ball a little quicker and our four guys up front weren't moving [well]."
• Since taking over as interim head coach, Vermes has seen the Wizards post a 3-4-2 record - after beginning his coaching tenure with three consecutive losses.
• "Every game that we've played we've used as a measuring stick to see where we are at as a team," said Vermes. "Today we fell short and it's a team you have to measure yourself against because it's a consistent, well-organized, successful team and we have to measure up today [and we didn't]."
