Chivas USA Ends Its Misery in Grand Style

So this was the Chivas USA that club officials had promised with so much bold-faced bravado before the Major League Soccer season began.

Forcing the action, playing with passion and scoring with aplomb, Chivas routed Real Salt Lake, 5-1, before an announced 8,214 at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night as forward Matt Taylor had a hand in all five Chivas goals.

In what was the biggest blowout in MLS this season, Taylor had a goal and two assists, and Hector Cuadros, Antonio Martinez and Isaac Romo also scored for Chivas, which was also the recipient of an own-goal by Salt Lake defender Brian Kamler.

“Salt Lake is not the best team, I know,” said Chivas Coach Hans Westerhof, who got his first win since taking over on June 4. “But it’s good for our self-confidence and most of all, it’s good for our fans.”

Chivas’ second victory of the season came against a fellow expansion club that it beat for its only other win. It also halted an 11-game winless streak, dating to May 7, through the use of an offensive explosion -- Chivas had scored a combined three goals in its previous five games -- that was music to the ears of Chivas President and co-owner Antonio Cue.

“I’m proud of these guys because it’s tough after 13 losses; they still have heart,” Cue said. “These guys have taken a lot.”

Against Salt Lake, they dished it out.

Chivas (2-13-3) outshot Salt Lake, 24-8, including 11-3 on goal.

Real Salt Lake (3-10-4) was without defender Eddie Pope (United States) and midfielder Andy Williams (Jamaica), both playing with their national teams in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“I knew this was a defense you could really expose,” said Taylor, who started the first five matches on the left wing before being sent to the bench for nine. He has started the last four games on the right side. “We had to win and I had to play well because we have new players coming [from Mexico].”

On Chivas’ first goal, Kamler’s gaffe in the fourth minute, it was Taylor who sent the cross into the middle of the box.

Taylor sent another pass to Thiago Martins, who was taken down in the box to set up Cuadros’ penalty kick in the 16th minute.

After Salt Lake forward Clint Mathis scored on a blistering free kick from 20 yards in the 23rd minute -- his first goal of the year -- the rout was on.

Taylor passed to Antonio Martinez in the 53rd minute, scored his own goal two minutes later and picked up his second assist on Romo’s goal in the 83rd minute.

One of the few negatives for Chivas was captain Ramon Ramirez’s yellow card in the 38th minute. He will sit out Saturday’s match against the Galaxy because of caution point accumulation.

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Chivas announced the signing of midfielder Rodrigo Lopez, 18, as a developmental player. Lopez has dual citizenship with the United States and Mexico and has been in the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Olympic development program.