Chivas USA Can’t Keep Up With Fire

The lightning stopped after thunderstorms delayed the start of the game Saturday, but the fireworks began in the second half when the Chicago Fire scored four goals to rout Chivas USA, 5-2, at Soldier Field.

Chivas, the MLS team with the league’s worst record (1-9-2), had a 2-1 halftime lead but fell apart in the second half.

After his debut MLS game, Chivas Coach Hans Westerhof, who replaced demoted Thomas Rongen, spoke dejectedly of how Chivas players broke down defensively and couldn’t muster any semblance of the attacking style they’re known for.

“For me, it’s not going to be easy to change things,” Westerhof said through an interpreter. “I’m the responsible one here. This is my responsibility, along with the other coaches, to try to make things better.... We’re working on getting new players to come to the team, but this isn’t the right moment to talk about these things.”

After rallying for a 1-1 tie against Kansas City on Wednesday and enjoying a supportive road crowd in Chicago on Saturday, Chivas simply couldn’t match the intensity that the Fire (6-5-1) brought. Chicago scored three times within the first 15 minutes of the second half and never looked back. And it could have been worse. Fire players had several one-on-one chances in the second half that resulted in off-target shots.

Chivas surrendered three goals to Fire forward Nate Jaqua, who entered the game with one goal this season. In the goal that secured the hat trick, Jaqua was unmarked and easily tapped a rebound into an open net.

But Chivas did have a couple of bright spots.

It responded quickly to a second-minute Fire goal and tied the score at 1-1 in the fifth minute. Midfielder Antonio Martinez, starting his second consecutive game, blasted home a bullet past Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton from outside the box for his first goal.

And late in the first half, Ezra Hendrickson headed home a corner kick from Francisco Gomez to give Chivas a brief 2-1 lead. This was the same combination that punched in the corner kick goal March 23, when Chivas defeated the Mexican league team Aguilas, 1-0, in an exhibition.

It’s shades of brilliance such as these that give Martinez hope for the rest of the season.

“We have one of the best coaches in the world behind us,” Martinez said. “We still believe in each other. [The media] talk about us like we’re done before we even started the season, and we’re going to prove you guys wrong. We’re going to keep fighting and we’re going to turn this thing around.”

Saturday, though, there was nothing to celebrate.

“It’s not worth anything when you don’t win,” Martinez said of his goal. “It was a bad night for us.”