Kljestan suspension weighing on Chivas
Sacha Kljestan’s overly enthusiastic sliding tackle on Real Salt Lake’s Andy Williams last weekend might end up costing Chivas USA the chance for a rare victory over the Galaxy tonight.
Although referee Hilario Grajeda saw nothing wrong with the tackle, which left Williams writhing on the ground in pain and sent him to the hospital for precautionary X-rays that showed no broken bones, Major League Soccer on Wednesday fined Kljestan $1,000 and suspended him two games for “serious foul play.”
That means he will sit out the match against the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center, and the four-man Chivas midfield, a fairly smooth-flowing unit thus far, will have to improvise.
Chivas is 1-7-1 all-time against the Galaxy, but the teams are so evenly matched this year that the absence of even one key player could be enough to affect the outcome.
“Sacha’s been great for them,” Galaxy forward Landon Donovan said. “I’ve watched almost every minute of all their games, and he helps them a lot. He’s confident right now and playing really well. He’s flying around the field, and he’s attacking.
“He does a lot for them that people don’t see. He helps Jesse [Marsch] defensively, and he gets around Amado [Guevara] and [Francisco] Mendoza offensively and gets around the forwards and helps them.
“I don’t know if they’ll just plug someone in, or if they’ll rearrange everything, but it’s going to hurt them for sure.”
Chivas USA Coach Preki said he felt the punishment imposed by MLS was excessive. “I wouldn’t call it fair, for two games,” he said. “Maybe one game, yes. It’s a little bit harsh.”
He acknowledged that losing Kljestan would cause some problems. “Obviously, we have to restructure a little bit,” he said. “We have some ideas.”
Beyond that, he would not elaborate.
Galaxy Coach Frank Yallop was not so sure that Kljestan’s absence would alter the way the game develops.
“I don’t see them changing much,” he said. “They’re a good team. They move the ball well. They’re unpredictable in their attack, and they’ve got good soccer players on the field.”
Preki has several options, one of which would be to start Jason Hernandez at left back and move defender Jonathan Bornstein into left midfield, thus pushing Mendoza inside to center midfield alongside Marsch and Guevara out to Kljestan’s spot on the right.
That would give the midfield more speed to disrupt the threat posed by Donovan and Cobi Jones and Robbie Findley. Mendoza has proven himself as a harrying player on defense, one who uses his speed and quickness to disrupt opponents. The move, however, would take away some of his attacking effectiveness.
Another possible move for Preki would be to leave the starting lineup unchanged and simply put forward John Cunliffe into Kljestan’s midfield spot. The Englishman -- yes, there is one playing professional soccer in Los Angeles before David Beckham -- has looked impressive enough coming off the bench.
Yallop, meanwhile, has to figure out how to stop Chivas forwards Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo.
Chivas is the visiting team tonight, meaning most of the crowd will be behind the Galaxy. “It’s going to be a difficult game,” Preki said. “I think the guys in the locker room understand that.”
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GALAXY-CHIVAS USA TONIGHT
7:30, FSC, FSE
Site -- Home Depot Center.
Radio -- 1700, 830, 1020.
Records -- Galaxy 0-1-1, Chivas 2-1-0.
Record vs. Chivas (2006) -- 2-1-1.
Update -- Galaxy forward Alan Gordon (foot stress fracture) and defender Troy Roberts (hip surgery) are out with long-term injuries, and defender Ian Russell will sit out the game after straining his right calf Friday. Defender Tyrone Marshall is questionable because of a left calf strain. Midfielder Santino Quaranta has returned to training, and midfielders Peter Vagenas and Quavas Kirk and forward Gavin Glinton are available after being sidelined by injuries. For Chivas, defender Carlos Llamosa (left knee) is out for the season, and defender Orlando Perez is recovering from a groin strain.
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Galaxy’s show
Game-by-game results between the Galaxy and Chivas USA:
*--* DATE RESULT GOALS April 23, 2005 Galaxy 3, Chivas USA 1 Galaxy: Cobi Jones, Peter Vagenas, Jovan Kirovski. Chivas: Ramon Ramirez May 28, 2005 Galaxy 2, Chivas USA 0 Galaxy: Pablo Chinchilla, Peter Vagenas July 16, 2005 Galaxy 2, Chivas USA 0 Galaxy: Herculez Gomez, 2 Aug. 10, 2005 Galaxy 1, Chivas USA 0 Galaxy: Landon Donovan Aug. 3, 2005 Galaxy 5, Chivas USA 2* Galaxy: Cobi Jones, Joseph Ngwenya, Herculez Gomez, Landon Donovan, Chris Albright. Chivas: Douglas Sequeira, Ramon Ramirez April 15, 2006 Galaxy 2, Chivas USA 1 Galaxy: Cornell Glen, 2. Chivas: Ante Razov June 8, 2006 Chivas USA 2, Galaxy 1 Chivas: Ante Razov, 2, Galaxy: Herculez Gomez July 15, 2006 Galaxy 0, Chivas USA 0 Sept. 30, 2006 Galaxy 3, Chivas USA 0 Galaxy: Peter Vagenas, Cobi Jones, Alan Gordon
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Note -- Galaxy leads the all-time series: 7-1-1 and has outscored Chivas USA, 19-6.
* denotes U.S. Open Cup game
