The good times have apparently evaporated for Chivas USA.
The team's 3-1-1 start back in March seems to be a distant memory, and Real Salt Lake further rammed that point home on Sunday night at the Home Depot Center, as Ned Grabavoy's brace along with goals from Robbie Findley and Joao Plata paced RSL to a 4-1 road win over Chivas USA.
[[Show as slideshow]]Seattle Sounders looked to keep the winning streak alive by making it 3 in a row versus FC Dallas on a mild night in Seattle. Dallas had been red hot riding a 9 game unbeaten streak (6-0-3) and are 1st on the table comfortably with 6 points on the next in line Portland Timbers.
The Houston Dynamo's recent experience at the Home Depot Center, particularly when they have faced the Los Angeles Galaxy, have not been a pleasant experiences for the Dynamo.
Houston had not beaten the Galaxy in Los Angeles since 2007, a span in which it has gone 0-6-1. The last two visits to Los Angeles though were the most painful for the Dynamo, as they finished asrunners up to the Galaxy in the 2011 and 2012 MLS Cup Finals, played at the Home Depot Center.
It wasn't officially the California Clasico (Galaxy vs. Earthquakes) or the Honda Superclasico (Galaxy vs. Chivas USA) for that matter.
Yet the drama displayed by Chivas and the Quakes at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night was just as intense and entertaining. Chivas answered Chris Wondolowski's late first half strike with goals from Marco De Luna and Tristan Bowen early in the second half, only to see San Jose's Cordell Cato snatch the win away from their grasp late in the second half and the two teams settled for a 2-2 draw on Saturday night.
Facing one of the top teams in Major League Soccer in Sporting Kansas City, the Los Angeles Galaxy knew they needed to be on top of their game to get a favorable result.
The Galaxy did just that on Saturday night, and their top performer was a familiar face, as Landon Donovan set up LA's first goal in the first half, then found the back net himself in the second half as the Galaxy brought red-hot Kansas City back down to Earth woth a 2-0 win at the Home Depot Center.
Riding an undefeated streak for the first time in four years, Chivas USA looked for more good times against a Colorado Rapids squad that was 1-3-2 heading into Saturday night's match.
Unfortunately for Chivas, the bad luck that had plauged the squad the previous three seasons came back to rear its ugly head on Saturday night, whether it was missing chances in the penalty box, or conceding a penalty, then missing one themselves later in the match.
It was all in hand for the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday night,
Hosting Mexico's C.F. Monterrey in the first leg of its semifinal matchup of the CONCACAF Champions League Tournament, LA got a first half strike from AJ DeLaGarza and took the lead well into the second half. A one-goal lead going into next week's second leg in Monterrey seemed to be well in hand for the Galaxy.
Real Salt Lake defeated Western Conference rivals Seattle Sounders with a 2-1 win at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday. The home team scored through Robbie Findley and Luis Gil in the first half, whereas as the visitors pulled one back through Brad Evans.
Both teams were going into the game with poor form by their standards.
It's become apparent this season that this is not last year's Chivas USA squad.
Last season, particularly towards the end, Chivas USA lost games and lost them without showing a whole lot of fight. This year however, the fight and more importantly, the results are more than present for the Goats.
It wasn't looking good for Chivas USA on Sunday afternoon.
Already playing a man down in the first match against the Los Angeles Galaxy after a questionable red card late in the first half, Chivas then fell behind a goal after Jack McBean had scored late in the second half.
Chivas though got one chance and made the most of it, as Carlos Alvarez scored a minute before stoppage time and Chivas salvaged a point against its in-stadium rival with a 1-1 draw.
It wasn't looking good for Chivas USA on Sunday afternoon.
Already playing a man down in the first match against the Los Angeles Galaxy after a questionable red card late in the first half, Chivas then fell behind a goal after Jack McBean had scored late in the second half.
Chivas though got one chance and made the most of it, as Carlos Alvarez scored a minute before stoppage time and Chivas salvaged a point against its in-stadium rival with a 1-1 draw.
Even with striker Robbie Keane and center back Omar Gonzalez away on international duty this week, the Los Angeles Galaxy figured to have a pretty easy night against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.
The Galaxy certainly created chances, but what they didn't expect was for Rapids keeper Clint Irwin, currently filling in for the injured Matt Pickens, to make himself a nuisance between the pipes on Saturday night, yet when all was said and done, the Galaxy found a way to get the three points, as Mike Magee's penalty in the 50th minute was all the Galaxy needed in its 1-0 win at the Home Depot Center.
Real Salt Lake started their home campaign at Rio Tinto Stadium with a tightly contested 1-1 draw with their bitter rivals Colorado Rapids on Saturday. The visitors scored in the 37th minute through Deshorn Brown, which was equalized late in the 81th minute by Alvaro Saborio.
Both teams suffered losses to Eastern Conference teams heading into the Rocky Mountain Cup tie, a derby which generates strong emotion from both sets of supporters.
As Seattle Sounders and Portland timbers rekindle their decades old rivalry for 2013 there was much anticipation in CenturyLink for Obafemi Martins arrival. As much vitriol and familiarity between Seattle and Portland, both clubs are without key contributors from their past and are somewhat unknown to each other.
Six days after holding their own in the first leg in Costa Rica, the Los Angeles Galaxy dictated the pace of the game on their home turf in the return leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Tournament against C.S. Herediano.
One first half strike was followed by three more in the second half while the defense contained the Herediano attack for the most part and Los Angeles became just the third MLS team to reach the semifinals of the CCL tournament with a 4-1 win.
