Chivas USA return to The Home Depot Center this Saturday for the team's first home game in six weeks. The Red-and-White will continue pushing toward a playoff spot as they take on Eastern Conference rival Toronto FC.
The two teams have already met once in 2009, with Chivas USA falling 1-0 to Toronto on April 22 at BMO Field.
"We're going to expect a good Toronto team to come in here and be prepared," said defender Jonathan Bornstein. "I think that we need to expect that. If we play our game, then I think we are a team that no one can compete with."
The Red-and-White will be glad to be back at home. Chivas USA has six wins at The Home Depot Center and has scored two-thirds of the team's goals there this season.
"Playing at home again will be nice," said Chivas USA captain Jesse Marsch. "We always feel good when we're at The Home Depot Center. The field is big, we can pass well, and our fans are great. Hopefully, this will get us a little bit of a roll."
Toronto currently sits in third place in the Eastern Conference with 30 points from 21 matches. The club is coming off a 2-0 victory over D.C. United last weekend.
"Toronto has been playing well," said Marsch. "We have to expect a real game and a real fight."
The visitors are lead by All-Star midfielder Dwayne De Rosario. The Canadian international has already notched nine goals in 2009, good for fifth in the Golden Boot standings, and has three assists as well.
"Dwayne is an important player, but we have to be worried about the whole team," said Mariano Trujillo. "He's important, but if he doesn't have the ball at his feet, he loses that importance. We just have to break up their plays and not allow them to get a rhythm going."
Beyond De Rosario, Toronto has a talented corps of attacking players that has led the team with 30 goals scored on the season.
"We expect an attacking game," said Chukwudi Chijindu. "We know they have a lot of dangerous players, but we're not scared. We have dangerous guys as well. They have to be wary of our offense and I think it's going to be a good match."
Chivas USA is in high spirits after a 2-0 win at New York last weekend. The team broke a 335-minute scoreless drought and earned its first league win since June 6. They will also be buoyed by new signing Jesús Padilla, who will be eligible against Toronto.
"We went into that game with more swagger than we had in the previous games," said Chijindu. "We were positive and encouraging each other to go forward and be dangerous and I think that showed."
The Red-and-White will draw upon the lessons learned at New York as they prepare for Toronto on Saturday.
"We want to build on [the New York] game," said Chijindu. "We want to bring the same energy and the same intensity, and if we could be a little bit better with the ball, I think we can get three points."
Jeffrey King is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
