Against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday at The Home Depot Center, Chivas USA overcame the loss of defender Claudio Suarez. Carlos Llamosa ably stepped in for the Mexican international. The Red-and-White even overcame the loss of midfield spark plug Jesse Marsch as rookie Sacha Kljestan played a more defensive-minded match and helped keep the Red Bulls from scoring.
But Chivas could not overcome a two-week layoff as the club struggled to find its rhythm in a scoreless draw against visiting New York.
Chivas scored no goals for the second time in their last three games.
"It feels like two points [were] lost," Chivas USA coach Bob Bradley said. "We weren't sharp tonight, whether it was in set pieces, whether it was the final pass or in some cases the finish. That's the frustration that everybody feels."
Chivas' attacking trio of Juan Pablo Garcia, Ante Razov and Francisco Palencia were held at bay, in large part due to their own lack of touch. Razov could not get to a loose ball in front of an empty net late in the first half and had a pair of shots on goal stopped by Red Bulls 'keeper Tony Meola.
Garcia, meanwhile, did little with six free kicks: four went right to Meola, one went wide and another hit the wall.
"That goes along the same lines as the plays I'm referring to in the attacking part of the field," Bradley said. "Those set pieces are important on a night like tonight because they're in good positions."
For his part, Garcia placed much of the offensive woes on himself.
"We look to score goals any way we can get them and I don't know why they are not falling. For me, the only thing I can do is to work harder and put away the scoring chances when they present themselves. Then we can write a new chapter in our season," Garcia said. "Tonight I go away frustrated and really unhappy with myself. I'm always going to be critical of myself when I don't score."
Chivas had 11 total shots and seven on goal but most were right at Meola. Francisco Mendoza had the club's best scoring chance of the game in the 25th minute when he found himself completely unmarked but his shot sailed well over the crossbar.
Had Chivas put away one of their five first-half shots, the offense might have found a rhythm similar to the one present in their 3-0 Opening Day win over Real Salt Lake.
"It's a game where if you're sharp and get the first one, then there is more there," Bradley said. "We just weren't able to do it."
Still, for all of the club's attacking problems, the defense stood firm. Llamosa and Kljestan did well to plug the defensive holes. New York's biggest scoring threats -- Amado Guevara and Youri Djorkaeff -- were quiet, combining for just one shot. Edson Buddle and Mike Magee, who entered the game in the 42nd minute when Buddle left because of a strained hamstring, had good scoring chances sent wide by Chivas USA 'keeper Brad Guzan.
"The guys in front of me did a great job," Guzan said. "We shut down their two key players. Those guys are world-class players who can change the game on one play. Throughout the 90 minutes, I think we did a pretty good job with them."
Chivas made it a point to come out with a more thorough defensive effort after a pair of losses in which Chivas surrendered two goals in each game.
"That was an effort during the week where we said as a team, not just as a back line but as a team, that two weeks in a row we'd given up two goals to a starting forward and you can't have that," Chivas defender Tim Regan said. "With Guevara and Djorkaeff on the field and the talent of Buddle and Magee, you have to shut down their best guys and make somebody else make a great play to win the game."
In the end, however, players and coaches felt like more was needed at home.
"It's just that these are games at home you have to win," Bradley said. "Establishing ourselves so that we know how to win at home and take three points is something that is important in terms of us moving forward."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
