Chivas USA Still Gets Little Help
Perhaps it was an omen when reinforcement player Hector Castro suffered a season-ending injury during warm-ups of what would have been his Chivas USA debut last month.
For whatever reason, the quest for Chivas’ other refuerzos, Francisco Palencia and Juan Pablo Garcia, to bring respectability to the expansion Major League Soccer franchise has been a trying endeavor.
Chivas USA was stymied again on Saturday at the Home Depot Center, suffering a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids, who clinched a playoff spot.
“My decision right now is to stay here until December, but I don’t know what’s coming,” said Palencia, who is signed through next year. “I always like to think in the present.”
With three games left, Chivas fell to 3-21-5 overall and 0-4-2 since Palencia and Garcia joined the team. In those games, Palencia and Garcia have a combined three goals, all coming in their debut, a 3-3 tie against the MetroStars on Aug. 21.
“Sometimes, I wish I could scream my head off at the referees,” Garcia said through a translator. “But I’m really happy with our fans. It’s just unfortunate we couldn’t have the results we wanted.”
Palencia had three shots on goal against Colorado. Garcia had two.
“I don’t feel satisfied and I don’t feel comfortable, but I feel I do my best and my team does too,” Palencia said.
Chivas USA Coach Hans Westerhof has already said he isn’t sure whether he will return next season to the club, whose last victory was a 3-0 decision against the New England Revolution on July 22.
Westerhof said he would meet with General Manager Antonio Cue after the season.
“I believe in the project and I believe in this team,” Westerhof said.
Jovan Kirovski, making his return to the Home Depot Center since being traded from the Galaxy on Sept. 13 to Colorado, scored the winner on a penalty kick in the 47th minute after a dubious call. On replays, it appeared Chivas USA defender Ezra Hendrickson cleanly hit the ball on a tackle of Kirovski.
“It’s always one or two breaks that don’t go our way and that’s the game,” Hendrickson said.
Chivas USA scored its goal in the 19th minute when Palencia sent a cross to Arturo Torres, who waited to the left of the goal. Torres dived and headed the ball in for his second goal of the season and Palencia’s first assist.
Colorado tied it six minutes later when forward Jean Philippe Peguero knocked in a deflection off an Eric Denton shot.
Dedi Ben Dayan scored in second-half injury time for Colorado.
