Another Loss Plays Out
In a long season of hyperbole, disappointment and frustration, at least Chivas USA can take solace in this -- there are only four games remaining in the Goats’ lackluster expansion season in Major League Soccer.
Saturday night’s heartbreaking, but commonplace, 2-1 loss to the first-place San Jose Earthquakes at the Home Depot Center only added to Chivas’ misery.
Especially with the Earthquakes not scoring their goals until the 81st minute, courtesy of Danny Califf, and then the third and final minute of injury time, by Alejandro Moreno.
Nursing a lead and then hoping for the tie, neither of Chivas Coach Hans Westerhof’s second-half substitutions were for defenders. Rather, Westerhof, who this week said he was not sure if he would return to the club next season, went with a midfielder and then a forward.
“We played well, but at the end,” Westerhof said, “those were two mistakes.”
Chivas’ three-man back line of Ezra Hendrickson, Douglas Sequeira and Orlando Perez along with rookie goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who regained his starting position after two weeks off in favor of Sergio Garcia, grew weary.
“It’s frustrating,” Guzan said. “I don’t know what to say. It’s the same story all season. We just threw away three points.”
San Jose (15-4-8) was only too happy to pick them up.
The Earthquakes, who are 8-0-1 in their last nine games and 12-1-4 in their last 16, set a franchise record with 53 points. They also outshot Chivas overall, 13-10, and in shots on goal, 6-3.
Chivas (3-20-5), meanwhile, is coming up with new and exciting ways to lose while staying on course for some dubious MLS records.
The Goats have allowed 61 goals. The single-season record for most goals allowed is 69 by Colorado in 1998.
With three wins and five draws, Chivas has 14 points, the same record-low number scored by now-defunct Tampa Bay in 2001.
Also, Chivas has a goal-differential of minus-33. Tampa Bay’s was a record minus-36.
The Refuerzos from Mexico were supposed to be the answer for Chivas. Instead, there are only more questions.
Chivas is 0-3-2 since forwards Juan Pablo Garcia and Francisco Palencia joined the club.
The positives?
Well, the Goats did look sharp in their special green jerseys to commemorate Mexican Independence Day.
And Ramon Ramirez’s second goal of the season, off a free kick from 30 yards out in the 52nd minute, did get a rise from the crowd while ending Chivas’ scoreless streak at 262 minutes.
Then came Califf and Moreno, former Galaxy players, with nearly identical headers in the box to finish off the Goats.
