Chivas USA hasn't had too much to celebrate, now comes the dreaded expansion draft. (Getty
Images)
Chivas USA had an up and down 2011. Their season looked promising at times but injuries piled up
and issues with scoring took this team over. First year manager Robin Fraser did a decent job this
year but will have the fun task of going through the roster to figure out who stays and who will be
left available for next month's expansion draft.
Juan Pablo Angel scored his sixth goal in five games for Chivas USA in the 12th minute, heading
home an Ante Jazic cross from seven yards after Justin Braun picked up a loose ball in the Toronto
half.
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It took me just 30 minutes to get from my Torrance driveway to my press box seat tonight at Home
Depot Center where a rather subdued atmosphere has greeted two struggling teams.
I hate to admit it, but I was at a conference on Saturday and was left to follow the Seattle
Sounders-Chivas USA match via Twitter. I've now watched the highlights (and promise to watch the
full game) and can safely say that the frustration I felt while not watching the game would have
probably been even worse if I had watched.
*Chivas USA wilted in the Texas heat today and lost to FC Dallas for their first loss in their
last five games. Dallas play the Galaxy next weekend in Carson.
Quotable:
"It was possibly the hottest game I have been a part of in MLS, so it was difficult for
both teams," Chivas USA Coach Robin Fraser said.
When the summer transfer window opened for Major League Soccer the Red Bulls were very
determined to get a brand new keeper to help this club stop the leak and help the offense put some
goals into the oppositions net. Getting his ITC & P1 Visa was former Hamburg keeper Frank Rost and
right away was thrown into the fire for the Red Bulls two match road trip to face Chivas-USA.
New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Frank Rost made his debut for the club, but the German veteran was
outshined by his opposing goalkeeper.Â
Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy made four saves as Chivas USA and the New York Red Bulls
played to a scoreless draw in front of 14,838 at the Home Depot Center.
Happy Carmageddon weekend from Home Depot Center where one press box colleague described the
freeway traffic on the way to the game as being about as busy as it is at 3 a.m.
I heard of no problems for Galaxy fans on the Harbor (110) Freeway heading to the friendly
against Real Madrid at the Coliseum that just kicked off, too, although I wasn't taking any
chances, which is one reason I'm at the HDC (although a game that actually means something is far
preferable to watching Kaka et al wander around for 45 minutes).
Chivas USA's second Wednesday night game of the season did not prove a crowd crushing experience
driving into Home Depot Center tonight.
And if it hadn't been for the way to many parking lot attendants and unnecessary barriers
preventing you from finding a spot easily and quickly I would have been through the gates even
quicker.
Tonight's game against the Vancouver Whitecaps kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Home Depot Center (live
on Fox Sports West) with both teams hoping to do better than the scoreless draw they managed to
accomplish last month in Canada.
It will be an uphill battle for the Whitecaps, the game coming a day after Vancouver fired their
coach.
No Carlos Ruiz, no problem. The Philadelphia Union came into their game against Toronto FC
having scored just eight goals in ten games. They put six on the board in a offensive explosion
that solidified their hold on first place in the East.
SuperClassico weather here in Carson, so let's hope for a game to match.
Fans are filtering into the grass berm; perhaps a larger crowd is in store than the fewer than
20,000 that took in the corresponding fixture last season.
Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts returns from illness for the Galaxy this evening, while Juan Pablo
Angel replaces Miguel Lopez (who is on the bench) up front in the only two changes for Coach Bruce
Arena from the team that destroyed Sporting Kansas City 4-1 last weekend.
This evening the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA meet at the Home Depot Center for the first
2011 installment of the so-called "SuperClasico". For most of its history the clash has been less
than Super with the Galaxy dominating the outcomes. The only time parity has even been a
conversation piece was during the Alexi Lalas as GM years when the team imploded,
especially 2007 and 2008.
This review was written by Saurabh of Hoffenheim Offside. Thanks to him for his help
and make sure to check out his blog!
It may have been important to start playing immediately after losing Dwayne De Rosario in a
trade to New York. We got to see new boy Tony Tchani in action right away and he showed glimpses of
the vision and creativity that is sometimes lacking in THE MLS.
Van Nuys' Tristan Bowen looked lively this afternoon playing out wide against the 'Quakes,
producing a couple of chances for Chivas USA that included a shot he hit just shot wide of the
post. (Photo by Staff Photographer Robert Castillas).
Chivas USA won 2-0 on goals from Alan Gordon and draft pick Victor Estupiñan over PDL team
Fresno Fuego today in a game played just outside Paso Robles.
Gordon scored in the 31st minute from a header off a cross supplied by his former Galaxy
teammate Tristan Bowen. Estupiñan's second similarly resulted from a header off a cross from
defender Carlos Borja in the 80th minute.
Jorge Flores (right) could be left unprotected for Chivas USA. (Getty Images)
It's time to go back into the expansion draft talk. Last week we looked over D.C. United and
their roster and today we'll shift focus out west with Chivas USA. Both Portland and Vancouver will
be selecting 10 players each from the current rosters next month after MLS Cup.
*Chivas USA not only made the San Jose Earthquakes look really good tonight in a 3-0 loss
replete with the same old errors (what the hell was that giveaway in your own half that led to a
goal, Michael Lahoud?) that have characterized their season to forget, they also handed Chris
Wondolowski an easy hat trick and allowed him to pull level with the Galaxy's Edson Buddle for the
MLS scoring title.
Welcome to the 10/10/10 version of the Espresso. To commemorate the occasion, I will complete
this piece in ten minutes flat. Ready?
GO!
In a battle of MLS superpowers, Real Salt Lake took a trip to Jersey to face the Red Bulls,
where the 90 minutes failed separate the sides. Greg Sutton and Nick Rimando kept their nets tidy
to leave the scoreline 0-0.
Justin Braun, the team's top scorer, was rested tonight in case you were wondering whether
Chivas USA have completely given up. Apparently, they have.
Chivas USA: Zach Thornton, Ante Jazic, Yamith Cuesta, Michael Umaña, Mariano Trujillo, Michael
Lahoud (Justin Braun 59), Ben Zemanski, Paulo Nagamura, Rodolfo Espinoza (Sal Zizzo 58) , Jesús
Padilla (Jorge Flores 74), Alan Gordon
*"The People's Game" latest podcast from KPFK that includes me talking about the U.S.-England
game the morning after the night before is here.
*Univision said today about four million viewers - double the 2006 figures despite the time
similarity - watched the opening game of the World Cup Friday.
The Fire come into this match on a bit of a roll and playing their best football of the young
season. Carlos De Los Cobos seems to have found a line-up and formation that maximizes the talent
on his roster. Chivas USA enters the contest coming off of a 3-2 victory against San Jose. Despite
the three goal output last week Chivas USA has had trouble scoring goals for the better part of the
last two seasons.
Starting this afternoon, Sunday, March 25, at 5:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. CT), hopefuls will be able
to register via www.SuenoMLS.com for an opportunity to participate in one of three open tryouts.
The competition and personal stories will be chronicled by Univision Network's popular weekly
sports entertainment program, "República Deportiva" (Sports Republic).
YouTube- The Future for U.S. Soccer.MTS YouTube- The Future for U.S. Soccer.MTS
So here's the presumptive next US coach Jurgen Klinsmann spouting about 700 different cliches when
asked what American soccer needs to do to improve.
