What's left of Chivas USA's inaugural season is almost as frustrating as the losses the club has suffered all season long.
Head coach Hans Westerhof knows what some of the club's glaring problems are but can do little about it.
After Saturday's 3-1 loss to Colorado -- the club's 21st loss of the season -- Westerhof said that Chivas was close to truly being competitive, but at the same time pointed towards the 2006 preseason as the next opportunity to expand on that competitiveness.
"We have to work at least two months very hard to start on another level," Westerhof said. "We need a preseason for two months to work hard because our physical level is not good enough at this moment."
That much was apparent when Westerhof took over. During the Dutchman's first few weeks on the job, Chivas USA went through twice-daily training sessions on a near-daily basis. The club even held a training session the day of a match. But all that hard work did not pay off in victories as Chivas have won just two league matches under Westerhof.
Next preseason, whether Westerhof returns as coach or returns to his role overseeing Saprissa of Costa Rica, Club Deportivo Guadalajara and Chivas USA (Jorge Vergara's clubs), the club will likely go through a rigid training camp.
Still, fitness levels alone are not to blame for Chivas' ills. Defensive problems have hampered the club from Day One. The United States national team's 7-0 preseason victory over Chivas USA served as a wake-up call that the team's attack-minded 3-4-3 system was perhaps not the best model. However, the club maintains the tactical scheme even as Westerhof, who implemented the system within Vergara's clubs several years ago, sees vital flaws within the system.
"We aren't good enough to play one against one in the back so I think we need (another) defender," Westerhof said.
Hector "Pirata" Castro will help the club once he returns from a knee ligament tear next year, but Westerhof seemed to imply the need for a prominent defender.
In the final three matches, fitness levels as well as the club's three-man backline will likely stay the same. However, a look or two at young players probably won't happen.
"We don't have young players who can play at this moment at this level. That's not possible," Westerhof said.
Chivas USA's prized youngsters -- among them Rodrigo Lopez, Christian Jimenez and Milton Blanco -- will likely remain on the bench and might not see any action throughout the rest of the campaign.
But for all the negatives, Westerhof said the club is closer to competing for a playoff spot than its 3-21-5 mark would indicate.
"It's true that we are losing a lot of games but we are not so far away from the level that's necessary to play an important role in MLS," Westerhof said. "I couldn't see that it was the leader who was playing against the last (place) team in the tournament (on Sept. 17 against San Jose)."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was nost subject to the approval fo Major League Soccer or its clubs.
