Chivas Wants a Fast Break
Robbed last week, Bob Bradley isn’t about to complain this week.
Instead, the Chivas USA coach is focused on tonight’s game against the defending Major League Soccer champion Galaxy. What went before has nothing to do with it.
“I kind of always look at it as on that day we didn’t get the breaks,” Bradley said of a blown call on the road that denied a game-tying goal on a free kick by Juan Pablo Garcia last Saturday.
Television replays clearly showed the ball inside the net after bouncing down off the crossbar, but referee Marcel Yonan and his two assistants did not see it, and D.C. United went on to win, 2-0.
“Sometimes, that’s how the game works,” Bradley said, “and it’s important within the team to focus on the things that we did well, the things that we need to do better, and not whine about calls, because it’s done.”
Chivas USA did not file a protest with the league.
“It doesn’t get you very far,” Bradley said.
“We were angry about not coming out of there with some points, but after the game it was quickly understood within the whole group that we weren’t going to spend a lot of time complaining about it.”
The botched call was the second in as many weeks by MLS officials. On the opening weekend, also at D.C. United, the New York Red Bulls scored on a memorable free kick by Youri Djorkaeff. That goal, MLS and U.S. Soccer ruled, should not have been allowed by referee Brian Hall because two New York players were offside.
The game ended in a 2-2 draw and D.C. United Coach Peter Nowak protested long and loud. It did no good, but Nowak felt better when the break went his team’s way the following weekend.
“Somewhere along the line, it’ll even out” for Chivas USA, Bradley said.
Galaxy Coach Steve Sampson hopes that will not be tonight. The Galaxy won all four matches between the teams last season, but goalkeeper Brad Guzan is the only Chivas USA player still starting from last season, and the 2006 version is a much-improved squad.
With a high-intensity game expected at the Home Depot Center, referee Kevin Stott is likely to be kept on his toes.
“Neither team ever hopes that a referee plays any part in the outcome of a game,” Sampson said. “But it happens, and all we can hope is that Kevin Stott has a good match. I’m sure he will. He’s one of the better referees in the league.”
With a 1-1 record compared to the Galaxy’s 0-1-1 mark, Chivas USA is in the rare position of being ahead of its rival in the standings, and with the new players Bradley has brought in, it matches up well with a Galaxy team that has not yet hit full stride.
The individual battles tonight could be intriguing.
“If they play [Francisco] Mendoza on the left side against Chris Albright, it’s going to be a great matchup,” Sampson said. “I think Todd Dunivant matching up on the right side with Garcia” will be interesting.
“If John O’Brien comes into the midfield, he adds a dimension that I think will help Chivas. It’s going to be a game of great matchups all over the field -- Cobi Jones against [Jonathan] Bornstein, Landon Donovan against [Claudio] Suarez.”
Tonight’s game could mark O’Brien’s MLS debut, Bradley having opted to keep him out of last weekend’s rain-affected match at Washington.
“We’ll see,” Bradley said. “The 25 minutes [that O’Brien played for the U.S. against Jamaica on Tuesday night] were promising. It’s important that we push him along, but not push him to do too much too soon.
“It’s always enticing to get him on the field as much as we can.”
Tonight’s game will be the last for a while for Suarez, who was with Mexico’s World Cup squad during the week and will rejoin it Sunday. If he makes the final roster of 23 players who go to Germany, Suarez will not be back until late June at the earliest.
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TONIGHT
Chivas USA vs. Galaxy
Home Depot Center, 8, ESPN2
Radio -- 1020, 1700, 830.
Records -- Chivas USA 1-1, Galaxy 0-1-1.
Update -- This is the first of four league matches between the teams in 2006. Last year, the Galaxy outscored Chivas USA, 8-1, in winning all four. It also won a U.S. Open Cup game against Chivas USA, 5-2. The Galaxy’s new Brazilian forward, Thiago de Souza, has not yet obtained his U.S. work visa and will not be available tonight. Midfielder Ramon Ramirez (left knee sprain) is sidelined and defender Carlos Llamosa (left hamstring strain) is questionable for Chivas. The Galaxy will be without forward Alan Gordon (sports hernia), but striker Joseph Ngwenya (groin strain) has been upgraded to probable.
Tickets -- 1-877-244-8271
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The new Clasico
With San Jose having moved to Houston and Chivas USA now sharing the Home Depot Center, it’s clear who is the Galaxy’s primary rival. A look at last year’s results in the series:
* April 23: Galaxy 3 (Cobi Jones 14th minute, Pete Vagenas 24, Jovan Kirovski 32), Chivas USA 1 (Isaac Romo 49)
* May 28: Galaxy 2 (Pablo Chinchilla 62, Vagenas 76), Chivas USA 0
* July 16: Galaxy 2 (Herculez Gomez 64, 90), Chivas USA 0
* Aug. 10: Galaxy 1 (Landon Donovan 83), Chivas USA 0
THIS YEAR’S GAMES
*--* * Tonight, 8 * June 8, 7 p.m. * July 15, 7 p.m. * Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.
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