Chivas USA Gets Walker’s Payback
Jamil Walker spent much of his February on the outskirts of Guadalajara, trying to make the roster of a Major League Soccer expansion club during its preseason camp.
Chivas USA apparently did not think much of Walker, an expansion draft pickup from San Jose and locker room favorite, cutting the speedy forward before the season opener.
Saturday at RFK Stadium in Washington, Walker gained a modicum of revenge with his first goal and an assist in D.C. United’s 3-0 victory over Chivas.
“I think [Chivas has] a lot of tired legs,” Walker told ESPN2 at halftime. “They’re pushing up, trying to get a goal, and we’re just counterattacking and getting behind them.
“They’re playing three [defenders] in the back, so there’s a lot of space behind and guys are just finding me and I was able to put one away.”
United (11-6-5) won its fourth consecutive game and ran its unbeaten streak to six despite playing without forwards Freddy Adu (knee), Jaime Moreno (red card suspension) and Alecko Eskandarian (concussion). United outshot Chivas, 15-9, overall and 8-3 in shots on goal.
Chivas (3-17-3) was playing without defender Ezra Hendrickson, who went down with a leg injury in Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to the Galaxy, and it was a big step backward for the club. Since July, Chivas had been holding opponents to 1.17 goals after giving up 2.38 goals in the first three months of the season. Chivas is enduring a 243-minute scoreless streak, has been shut out nine times and is winless on the road.
Still, team officials are eagerly awaiting next Sunday’s game against the MetroStars at Giants Stadium as Chivas’ reinforcements from Mexico become eligible to play in MLS. Attacking midfielder Francisco Palencia, forward Juan Pablo Garcia, defender Hector Garcia and goalkeeper Sergio Garcia will train with the team in Washington this week before leaving for New Jersey on Wednesday.
On a day in which the temperature hit 119 degrees on the field, United broke through in the 41st minute when Bobby Boswell, beating Jesus Ochoa, found Santino Quaranta in the middle of the box on a breakaway. It was Quaranta’s third goal, after victimizing Armando Begines.
Two minutes later, Walker, who had five shots, three on goal, stepped up.
Taking a through ball from Dema Kovalenko, Walker blew by Douglas Sequeira and easily beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
United’s final score came in the 64th minute when Kovalenko took a header from Walker at midfield and ran through Chivas’ back line, his soft shot eluding Guzan.
Perhaps Chivas’ best chance came in the 77th minute, when Sequeira’s header off an Antonio Martinez free kick was just wide.
Gutierrez reported from Los Angeles.
