LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
7 pm PT (FSN-W2; TD)
The fourth league Super Clasíco in the history of the two clubs becomes the first to be played away from The Home Depot Center, as Chivas USA and Los Angeles Galaxy head downtown to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for a doubleheader with Mexico's superclasíco, a friendly between CD Guadalajara and Club América. The Galaxy have had the measure of stadium-mates Chivas in this first season, winning all three league encounters and their tie in the U.S. Open Cup, but now they play a league game at the Coliseum for the first time in MLS history having not won away from Carson this season, their only "road" win a 2-0 victory in the May meeting.
REFEREE: Abbey Okulaja. SAR (bench): George Gansner; JAR (opposite): David Bragg; 4th: Jair Marrufo
MLS Career: 34 games; FC/gm: 31.0; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 3; pens: 11
Games involving Chivas USA: P1 W0 L0 T1; FC/gm: 29.0; Y/gm: 2.0; R: 0; pens: 0
Games involving Galaxy: P8 W2 L4 T2; FC/gm: 30.8; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 0; pens: 3
INJURY REPORT: CHIVAS USA - OUT: FW Thiago Martins (R foot plantar fascitis); MF Francisco Gomez (L quadriceps strain); FW Matt Taylor (L adductor strain); DF Victor Arbelaez (L adductor strain); PROBABLE: MF Hector Cuadros (concussion) ... LOS ANGELES GALAXY - QUESTIONABLE: DF Tyrone Marshall (R hamstring strain); DF Ben Benditson (sports hernia)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: CHV: DF Esteban Arias (through Aug. 10) ... LA: MF Paulo Nagamura (21 CP; through Aug. 10)
WARNINGS: CHV: Hector Cuadros (16 CP); Thiago Martins (10 CP in 2 gms); Antonio Martinez (17 CP); Isaac Romo (16 CP)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (3 meetings): Chivas USA 0 wins, 1 goal ...Galaxy 3 wins, 7 goals ... 0 draws
AS CHIVAS HOME GAME: Chivas USA 0 wins, 0 goals ... Galaxy 1 win, 2 goals ... 0 draws
This is the fourth and final league meeting between the two clubs in the Honda Super Clasíco - the first one not at The Home Depot Center as an MLS league match is played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first time in history.
The Galaxy have won all three previous league encounters this year - and also knocked Chivas out of the U.S. Open Cup last Wednesday.
Coaches record: Hans Westerhof v LA: P1 W0 L1 D0 ... Steve Sampson vs. CDC: P3 W3 L0 D0LAST LEAGUE MEETING
The Galaxy left it late before claiming a 2-0 victory at The Home Depot Center on July 16 in the last league meeting between the club this season. The Galaxy came into the match with a six-game winless run, while Chivas USA had won back-to-back matches for the first time in club history, after a second league win and survival in their first U.S. Open Cup match.
But after a bitterly contested first hour that saw neither team give any quarter, the introduction of Herculez Gomez as a substitute for the Galaxy changed the match. Just three minutes after coming on he sent a long-range blast past Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan, off the inside the post and into the goal to put the Galaxy into the lead (64).
Then after narrowly missing on a couple more chances, he sealed the match in stoppage time, sent in alone by Naldo da Conceicao before coolly slotting past Guzan from just outside the box for his third goal in two games (93+).
Here's Steve Sampson's team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Troy Roberts, Pablo Chinchilla (Chris Albright 46), Ugo Ihemelu, Todd Dunivant - Michael Enfield, Paulo Nagamura, Peter Vagenas (Herculez Gomez 61), Guillermo Ramirez - Jovan Kirovski (Cobi Jones 46), Ednaldo da Conceicao
Here's Hans Westerhof's team (3-3-3-1): Brad Guzan - Armando Begines, Francisco Gomez (Hector Cuadros 70), Ezra Hendrickson - Esteban Arias, Jesus Ochoa (Milton Blanco 82), Antonio Martinez - Matt Taylor (Arturo Torres 85), Thiago Martins, Francisco Mendoza - Isaac RomoTHIS SEASON
At The Home Depot Center on April 23, the first Los Angeles derby lived up to many expectations with a vibrant, intense match both on and off the field. But it was the MLS original Galaxy that owned the contest, scoring three goals in the first 32 minutes to run out easy 3-1 winners.
Cobi Jones gave the Galaxy a 14th-minute lead when Chris Albright turned a corner kick on goal, only to see Chivas USA's Hector Cuadros clear it off the line. But Jones swooped in at the top of the area to blaze a first-time shot back under the crossbar.
Then 10 minutes later the 'home' side struck again, a long ball from Jones out of midfield headed down by Landon Donovan into the path of Peter Vagenas steaming up the center-forward channel, and he skipped through a tackle before lashing a low shot past Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan.
And then after Donovan was hacked down on the edge of the area, Jovan Kirovski hooked a free kick over the wall and inside Guzan's right-hand post to put the Galaxy up 3-0 (32).
Just after the break Chivas pulled a goal back, credited to Isaac Romo when his slightest of touches slipped a deflection of a Ramon Ramirez free kick from the right flank past Galaxy 'keeper Kevin Hartman (49). But six minutes later Aaron Lopez was sent off for a second bookable offense and that sealed Chivas USA's fate.
On May 28, the Galaxy won a "road" game for the first time this season - even though it came on their home ground - defeating Chivas 2-0 in what was the final match in charge for Chivas head coach Thomas Rongen.
After a tense first half, Costa Rican defender Pablo Chinchilla put the Galaxy ahead when he was left completely free to head home a Jovan Kirovski free kick from the top of the goal area (62).
Peter Vagenas then finished off the match 14 minutes from the end when he pounded home a lovely feed from Kirovski, who claimed the ball and set off on a mazy run through a host of Chivas defenders before finding Vagenas alone just inside the area.
Then last Wednesday, the Galaxy twice responded to deficits before taking the lead just before the half and running out 5-2 winners in the fourth round U.S. Open Cup tie between the clubs at The Home Depot Center's Track & Field Stadium. Douglas Sequeira gave Chivas a lead after just four minutes when he headed home a corner kick, but Cobi Jones pulled the Galaxy level eight minutes later when pumped a poor clearance home.
Then Chivas again took the lead when Ramon Ramirez curled home a free kick on 20 minutes, but Joseph Ngwenya finished off a semi-breakaway to again draw the Galaxy even (36).
Just before the break, Herculez Gomez again scored, picking off a pass before firing a long-range effort to give the Galaxy the lead. After squandering numerous chances throughout the second half, the Galaxy killed off the match with two late goals, Landon Donovan punishing a poor back pass (89) then Chris Albright finishing off the contest with a stoppage time strike.
Here's Westerhof's team: Brad Guzan; Ezra Hendrickson, Francisco Gomez, Douglas Sequiera, Armando Begines; Jesus Ochoa (60: Esteban Arias), Ramon Ramirez, Francisco Mendoza; Arturo Torres (60: Milton Blanco), Isaac Romo, Antonio Martinez
Here's Sampson's team: Steve Cronin; Ugo Ihemelu, Pablo Chinchilla, Troy Roberts, Todd Dunivant; Paulo Nagamura, Guillermo Ramirez, Herculez Gomez (46: Landon Donovan), Cobi Jones (74: Peter Vagenas), Jovan Kirovski (55: Chris Albright), Joseph Ngwenya (91: Alan Gordon).CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA followed a victory with a loss for the second consecutive instance, seeing a halftime lead overcome as Real Salt Lake claimed a 2-1 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Chivas remain in sixth place in the Western Conference with 12 points from 21 matches, seven behind fifth-place RSL and now 12 out of the fourth and final playoff place held by Colorado Rapids.
Tempers flared between the expansion teams early on, a full-field fracas seeing Real's Clint Mathis and Esteban Arias of Chivas USA both sent off as a result after just 18 minutes.
Then seven minutes later Ramon Ramirez found Arturo Torres behind the Real defense with a long pass from the center circle, and he slid the ball under the sliding D.J. Countess to give Chivas the first-half lead.
But after the break, Andy Williams started to put his stamp on the game, and four minutes after the restart hit for the the 5,000th goal scored in MLS history. The league's all-time leading goal scorer, Jason Kreis, latched onto a loose ball and slid a pass to Williams, who blistered a low drive from the edge of the area that left Brad Guzan no chance.
Then 15 minutes from time Kreis gave RSL the winner from the penalty spot as Chris Brown was bundled over by a retreating defender as he raced into the box on the end of a long run.
"I think that there were no big differences between the two teams, competitively. Before this game, they won four, we won three; they only won two at home, we too; and they score on corners and free kicks, we too, Chivas boss Hans Westerhof said. "There are a lot of things in common."
Westerhof made one change to the team that defeated the New England Revolution 1-0 in the final league match before the All-Star break. Esteban Arias came back into the side in midfield, Douglas Sequeira moving to the center of the back three as Francisco Gomez returned to the substitutes' bench.
Here's Westerhof's team (3-3-3-1): Brad Guzan - Ezra Hendrickson, Douglas Sequeira, Armando Begines - Esteban Arias, Jesus Ochoa, Francisco Mendoza - Arturo Torres (Milton Blanco 79), Ramon Ramirez (Orlando Perez 74), Antonio Martinez - Isaac Romo
"It's different to play here, of course, but I think after the 1-0 score at halftime nothing happened and then there were two gifts, the first one I think was ours and the second was the referee," said Westerhof.LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy continued their recent rocky patch and remained unsuccessful away from The Home Depot Center, falling 2-0 to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night. The Galaxy now have just one win in their last 10 matches and have yet to win this season away from southern California, still in third place in the West with 29 points from 21 matches, but now just five points ahead of the fourth-place Rapids and six behind second-place FC Dallas.
The Rapids maintained their grip on fourth place in the West while closing the gap with third-place Los Angeles in handing the Galaxy yet another defeat on the road.
Jeff Cunningham got the Rapids off to a dream start, finding a seam in the Galaxy back four and turning to flick home a shot inside the far post after just seven minutes. Jean-Philippe Peguero then doubled the Colorado lead on the half hour as he juked his way through the Galaxy defense to race in alone on goal before beating Kevin Hartman with a perfectly placed angled shot.
The Galaxy couldn't find their way back as they again failed to win away from The Home Depot Center on the season, having not won away from southern California since June 27, 2004.
"We certainly have some things to sort out. We've got to be able to put points up on the road whenever we can. We get shutout on the road. We have to find a way to stay focused," defender Chris Albright said.
Galaxy boss Steve Sampson made one change to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution in the last match before the All-Star break. Center back Tyrone Marshall was out through injury that caused a reshuffle, Chris Albright coming back to right back, Troy Roberts centrally and Jovan Kirovski coming back into the team, on the left side of midfield.
Here's Sampson's team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Chris Albright, Troy Roberts (Michael Umana 46), Ugo Ihemelu, Todd Dunivant - Cobi Jones, Peter Vagenas, Paulo Nagamura (Guillermo Ramirez 46), Jovan Kirovski - Landon Donovan, Herculez Gomez (Joseph Ngwenya 65)
"I thought we really put a good 90 minutes together against New England so we were confident coming into this match. We just didn't have it today and that was obvious from the very beginning," said Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant.
Said Galaxy assistant coach Afshin Ghotbi: "The players wanted to come and perform well and get points on the road. I thought we came out and sat back to let Colorado come and look for opportunities to counterattack. Unfortunately with two young players in the central defense there were times that we made errors that cost us on the back. After you go behind one goal it is not only tough on your mind, but also on your spirit. It is certainly hard to come and play at elevation here in Colorado."
