Coming off a first victory of the season, Chivas USA return to The Home Depot Center to take on the New England Revolution. Robin Fraser captured his first victory as head coach last weekend, a 2-1 Chivas victory at San Jose. The Revolution put an end to a brief losing skid with a win of their own last weekend, coming back for a 3-2 win against a 10-man Sporting Kansas City.
REFEREE: Mark Kadlecik. SAR (bench): Sean Hurd; JAR (opposite): Mike Kampmeinert; 4th: Sorin Stoica MLS Career: 1 games; FC/gm: 19.0; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 1; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT:CHIVAS USA – OUT: FW Tristan Bowen (L ankle sprain); MF Blair Gavin (L hamstring strain); DF Seth Owusu (R knee sprain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Paulo Nagamura (L calf strain), DF Jimmy Conrad (concussion); DF Michael Lahoud (concussion) … NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION – OUT: MF Marko Perovic (L knee sprain); DOUBTFUL: MF Pat Phelan (concussion); PROBABLE: GK Matt Reis (L shoulder sprain); MF Andrew Sousa (R quadriceps strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (12 meetings): Chivas USA 5 wins, 15 goals … Revolution 5 wins, 14 goals … Ties 2
AT CHIVAS USA (6 meetings): Chivas USA 4 wins, 9 goals … Revolution 1 wins, 3 goals … Ties 1
RETURN MATCH: 8/6: New England Revolution vs. Chivas USA, 7:30 p.m. ET
LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/5:NE 0, CHV 4 (Padilla 26, 48; Braun 33; Gavin 81)
9/10: CHV 2, NE 0 (Braun 6; Nagamura 36)
- Chivas USA have won three consecutive matches against New England, all by shutout, winning 4-0 in Foxborough and 2-0 at home last season. The Revolution have not scored in 287 minutes vs. Chivas.
- The 4-0 victory was the biggest road victory in Chivas USA history, and it was the Revolution’s worst home defeat since the opening of Gillette Stadium in 2002.
- Chivas USA’s 2-0 victory in the final meeting of 2009 snapped a three-game Revolution league winning streak in the series. It was the first Chivas defeat of New England since 2007.
- Coaches record: Robin Fraser vs. NE: first game … Steve Nicol v CHV: P12 W5 L5 D2
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA won for the first time on the 2011 campaign, getting a late goal for a 2-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon at Buck Shaw Stadium. Chivas USA have 6 points from 6 games on the season, sitting in a tie for seventh place in the Western Conference.
LAST MATCH
- The Earthquakes took the lead in the 16th minute through 2010 Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski. Ramiro Corrales corralled a half-cleared corner kick on the right side and delivered a looping cross to Khari Stephenson near the penalty spot. Stephenson’s header found a wide-open Wondolowski, who popped a close-range over goalkeeper Dan Kennedy from an acute angle near the end line.
- During first-half stoppage time, Chivas USA drew level. Heath Pearce delivered a free kick from out near the right touchline and Alejandro Moreno rose from a crowd at the spot got off just enough of a header to flick the ball neatly inside the far post.
- The game-winner came five minutes from the end as a pair of substitutes combined. Justin Braun beat two Quakes defenders down the right wing before driving an angled shot toward the far post. Quakes 'keeper Jon Busch was able to get a hand to it, but the rebound was diverted home by Mariano Trujillo from close range.
- Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser made one change to the team that played to a scoreless draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Empire Field. Zarek Valentin returned to the side in place of Michael Lahoud.
- CHIVAS USA (4-1-3-2): Dan Kennedy - Zarek Valentin, Andrew Boyens, Heath Pearce, Ante Jazic - Simon Elliott - Ben Zemanski (Mariano Trujillo 61), Nick LaBrocca, Jorge Flores (Michael Umana 88) - Alejandro Moreno, Marcos Mondaini (Justin Braun 61).
TEAM NEWS
- The win was the first of the season for Chivas USA, and the first for rookie head coach Robin Fraser. “The win was going to come. I never thought that I was going go my whole career without a win,” Fraser said. “I’m happy for the guys because they’ve worked incredibly hard and have been scrutinized up and down. For them to get their first win on the road, it was a huge testament to what they’ve done.”
- After losing their first three games in all competitions, Chivas have allowed just two goals in putting together a four-game undefeated streak.
- “We got the monkey off our back. We still have a lot of games left, so it’s not like we can say that we’ve got our win and now we can relax,” Fraser said. “Let’s keep it in perspective. It's one win. There are a lot of teams in this league that have four wins already. We still have a lot of work to do.”
- For Mariano Trujillo, the goal was the first of his MLS career, in 51 appearances. “After two years here in MLS, to score my first goal was emotional,” said Trujillo. “Plus that goal helped us to get our first victory of the season, so it was great.”
- It was a big day for Trujillo. After a 30-minute shift as a substitute in the league match, Trujillo started and played 60 minutes in the reserve match that immediately followed – and scored a goal in that game as well. Trujillo has also started to figure as a midfielder for Chivas, after seeing the bulk of his duty as a fullback in his first two seasons with Chivas.
- “Actually midfield is my original position,” said Trujillo. “I played that position in Mexico a lot of times. I can play as a right back, and I like it, but it’s always better to go forward. I think I’m going to have the chance to score more goals because I’m trying to get into the box and get on those crosses.”
- Alejandro Moreno’s second goal of the season snapped the Red-and-White’s scoreless streak at 313 minutes, longest this season in MLS.
- “We all feel that we can build on something special here," said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, "and we’re just starting to take those steps now."
- After missing the previous match against Vancouver, Justin Braun came on as a substitute – and his action led to the game-winning goal. With the addition of Moreno, Marcos Mondaini and Victor Estupiñan to the Chivas attacking corps, Braun had moved more to a wide midfield role – but Fraser said he is best as a striker.
- “Probably playing up top,” said Fraser. “At the end of the day, Justin is a 6-foot-3 guy who is very fast, and he will always be a handful for central defenders to deal with. I think in the end, that’s probably his best spot.”
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
- The New England Revolution put an end to their two-game losing skid, coming back for a 3-2 victory against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution have 9 points from 7 matches, in a three-way tie for third place in the Eastern Conference.
LAST MATCH
- Marko Perovic opened the scoring for the home side by curling home Benny Feilhaber's feed after 12 minutes, but Kei Kamara equalized two minutes later by beating Matt Reis inside the near post.
- Kamara picked up his second on the other side of halftime, and handed his Sporting their first lead by thumping home a disputed penalty with 20 minutes left after Kevin Alston appeared to clip Teal Bunbury in the area.
- The Revs comeback began almost immediately. Shalrie Joseph headed New England level in the 72nd minute off a Kenny Mansally free kick, and four minutes later Sporting were reduced to 10 men when a red card to KC’s new defender, Aurélien Collin, in the 76th minute opened up the game and set up Lekic’s heroics.
- The Danish striker Lekic, playing in just his second MLS game, got his head to Zak Boggs' cross from the right flank, looping it over Sporting 'keeper Jimmy Nielsen in the 83rd minute for the match-winner.
- Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made three changes to the team that suffered a 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo. Benny Feilhaber made his MLS debut, coming into the midfield with Sharlie Joseph, who returned from suspension. Left back Didier Domi also returned from injury, with Darrius Barnes, Chris Tierney and Zack Schilawski going to the substitutes’ bench.
- NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-2-3-1): Matt Reis - Kevin Alston, Franco Coria, A.J. Soares, Didier Domi - Stephen McCarthy (Zack Schilawski 64), Benny Feilhaber - Zak Boggs, Shalrie Joseph, Marko Perovic (Kenny Mansally 60) - Rajko Lekic.
TEAM NEWS
- U.S. international Benny Feilhaber made his MLS debut in the 3-2 win against Sporting Kansas City and it didn’t take long for him to make a mark, assisting on Marko Perovic’s opening goal.
- “You see the quality he has,’’ Nicol said. “And that affects the opposition, as well, because they don’t know whether to stand off or close him down. And, obviously, with his teammates it’s good knowing you’re getting a guy the ball who’s nine times out of 10, he’s not losing it. So, he made a big impact.”
- Another newcomer, Danish striker Rajko Lekic, scored his first MLS goal for the game-winner as the Revolution bounced back from back-to-back shutout losses.
- "It takes time, the players are all very different, I don't know the players' runs, who is a good dribbler, a good passer," said Lekic to the Sun-Chronicle. "It was not my best game, my touches weren't there. I lost too many balls, but when I hit the game-winning goal, I was in heaven!"
- Shalrie Joseph filled a role as a underneath striker for the Revolution. He had last started a game at striker on June 13, 2009, when he partnered with Steve Ralston during an injury-hit spell for New England.
- Marko Perovic’s goal to open the scoring was the first for the Revolution in 192 minutes, since the stoppagetime equalizer against Vancouver on April 6. Perovic was later forced to leave the match with a knee injury and is listed as out for this weekend’s game.
- “We all like to play silky soccer and get results and stuff, but sometimes it doesn’t happen that way,” said Nicol. “But I think one of the positive things we can take from tonight is that we made chances. We spoke about it all week. We haven’t made chances and hadn’t scored goals. So we should be pleased that we got three, and I think if we get better with the ball, then we’ll make more chances.”
- Pat Phelan missed a second consecutive game, this time with a headache after being suspended for the April 17 game at Houston. Phelan is listed as doubtful for the Chivas game with a concussion.
- On Tuesday, the Revolution advanced to the next stage of the U.S. Open Cup with a 3-2 win against D.C. United at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Kheli Dube scored on either side of halftime, then Alan Koger made it 3-0 for the visitors. Branko Boskovic scored in the 73rd and 83rd minutes to make it close, but the Revolution held out.
- Here’s the New England team: Bobby Shuttleworth; Darrius Barnes, Ryan Cochrane, Otto Loewy (Michael Augustine 91), Chris Tierney; Sainey Nyassi, Ousmane Dabo (Diego Fagundez 76), Stephen McCarthy, Ryan Kinne; Kheli Dube, Kenny Mansally (Alan Koger 46)
