Chivas USA vs. LA Galaxy | MLS Match Preview

CHIVAS USA vs LA GALAXY
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
June 23, 2013 (WEEK 17, MLS Game #152) 8 p.m. PT (UniMás; TWCSN-LA)

A pair of teams in need a victory meet when Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy face off in the second SuperClásico of the season on Sunday evening at StubHub Center. Chivas USA saw their losing slide extended to six games at midweek in a 3-1 road defeat by Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Galaxy had their current winless run in league play extended to three games, reaching a scoreless draw with the Portland Timbers at home on Wednesday.

REFEREE: Hilario Grajeda. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Mike Rottersman; 4th: Juan Guzman
MLS Career: 86 games; FC/gm: 24.4; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 15; pens: 13

DISABLED LIST: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Tristan Bowen
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Mario de Luna, Joaquin Velazquez, Bobby Burling
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CHV: Julio Morales (Mexico U-20) … LA: Oscar Sorto, Jose Villarreal (USA U-20)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME: (26 meetings): Chivas USA 4 wins, 21 goals … Galaxy 16 wins, 42 goals … Ties 6
AS CHIVAS HOME GAME (12 meetings): Chivas USA 2 wins, 9 goals … Galaxy 7 wins, 16 goals … Ties 3
FUTURE MATCH: LA Galaxy vs. Chivas USA, 2 p.m. PT (UniMas)

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Jack McBean gave the Galaxy the lead in the 83^rd minute, but Carlos Alvarez equalized just six minutes later to leave the teams in a 1-1 tie, March 17 in Carson.
• The Galaxy have won eight of the last 10 league meetings, dating back to 2009. Chivas USA won 1-0 last May 19, their first victory against the Galaxy since Aug. 23, 2007, snapping an 11-game winless run in SuperClásicos.
• It will be the first SuperClásico at the newly-renamed StubHub Center, the home ground for both clubs.
• Coaches record: José Luis Real vs. LA: first game … Bruce Arena vs. CHV: P13 W8 L3 D2

LAST MEETING (MLS)
3/17: LA 1, CHV 1 (McBean 83 – Alvarez 89)

• Chivas went a man down late in the first half under strange circumstances when Joaquin Velázquez was sent off, referee Ricardo Salazar first showing a yellow card, then the red, following a challenge on Galaxy winger Colin Clark.
• The Galaxy finally took advantage in the 83rd minute when Jack McBean got his head to a deflected ball from Mike Magee from close range, as goalkeeper Dan Kennedy got a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out.
• But Chivas were able to snatch a share of the points when Carlos Álvarez tapped home a low cross through the box from Carlos Borja in the 89th minute for the leveller.
• LA GALAXY (4-4-2): Carlo Cudicini - Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant (Michael Stephens 77) - Mike Magee, Marcelo Sarvas, Juninho, Colin Clark (Leonardo 46) - Jose Villarreal (Jack McBean 64), Robbie Keane.
• CHIVAS USA (3-4-3): Dan Kennedy - Bobby Burling, Mario de Luna, Joaquin Velazquez (sent off 40) – Eric Avila, Oswaldo Minda (Marvin Iraheta 18), Edgar Mejia, Josue Soto - Jose Correa (Carlos Alvarez 46), Juan Agudelo, Julio Morales (Carlos Borja 46).

CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA started the José Luis Real era off with a sixth consecutive loss in league play, dropping a 3-1 decision to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday evening at BC Place. Chivas USA sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with 11 points from 14 matches.

LAST MATCH

• Chivas USA opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match. Collecting the ball in a seemingly harmless position well out from the box on the right, Tristan Bowen let fly with a dipping shot that sailed into the top left corner of Brad Knighton’s goal.
• But Whitecaps FC were in the lead by halftime, thanks to a pair of goals in first-half stoppage time. First, Jordan Harvey got on the end of a loose ball at the edge of the area after Camilo Sanvezzo swung and missed on a Russell Teibert pass, slamming home from just inside the box.
• Moments later, Camilo fired the Whitecaps into the lead, after Teibert stripped Gabriel Farfan on the wing before finding the Brazilian. Camilo raced into the area and turned a Chivas defender before firing across goal into the bottom left corner.
• Camilo scored his second in the 81st minute to seal the win, banging home a loose ball in the area which deflected off defender Wálter Vílchez before finding the netting.
• Chivas USA head coach José Luis Real made three changes to the team that fell 2-0 to Seattle Sounders FC at The Home Depot Center. Carlos Borja, Tristan Bowen and Jose Rivera came into the team, in place of Joaquin Velazquez, Bobby Burling and Eric Avila.
• CHIVAS USA (4-1-4-1): Dan Kennedy - Carlos Borja, Walter Vilchez, Mario de Luna, Gabriel Farfan – Oswaldo Minda - Tristan Bowen (Marvin Iraheta 75), Carlos Alvarez, Jose Rivera (Aaron Ponce 69), Jorge Villafana (Marky Delgado 63) - Jose Correa.

TEAM NEWS

• Chivas USA had their losing streak extended to within a game of the club-record seven-game losing run recorded at the end of last season.
• “I’m not at all happy because we lost the game in the last five minutes in the first half. We were in good form in the first half but we lost the game in that last five minutes,” said José Luis “Guero” Real. “The second half for me was different because Vancouver were waiting and maybe we can have more options to score but we had two or three big mistakes in defense and for me that is the worst.”
• Chivas USA did score a goal for the first time in a league game since their 4-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on May 19, and took a lead in an MLS match for the first time since March 30.
• “It was really difficult to recover from the two quick goals, you come in the locker room and take a breather, we got nipped in the bud when we got a goal scored on us again and we just dropped,” said Carlos Alvarez. “Coach just told us to keep working, keep our heads up as there’s still 45 minutes to play and believe in your teammates.”
• In his coaching debut, Real ran out a four-man backline, shifting Walter Vilchez into central defense. José Correa was the target striker in front of a four-man block in midfield, with Oswaldo Minda as a screen in front of the back four.
• “We changed our playing style drastically. Tactically, we’re a little better positioned and we’re not so hectic. So now it’s a little more calm and hopefully the transition is smooth,” said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. “This is a new group to this league. We’ve already had two coaches in a short period of time, so we’re dealing with a transition here. These results don’t weigh us down, I believe there’s a lot of positives we can take from this game from the run of play; it’s just about us having a quick learning curve with the new coaching staff.”
• “He’s a good coach obviously, that’s why he’s here. We’ve just been working hard under him for the last four or five days,” said Alvarez. “We got one more in the back, the team needs to work on understanding his philosophy so we can move forward. We just need to keep working.”
• Chivas USA allowed multiple goals in a game for the seventh consecutive league match. They’ve allowed 20 goals in that stretch, after allowing six goals in the previous six matches.
• “No one likes to lose -- it hurts,” Real said. “But at the same time, we’re advancing in important areas. I can’t be exact about how close we are to becoming better until I coach four or five more matches. The only solution to this is hard work.”
• Tristan Bowen made his first start since May 12 and scored his second goal of the season, his first since hitting for the equalizer in the 2-2 draw with San Jose on April 27, Chivas USA’s last result.

READ: Chivas hope to keep Galaxy guessing ahead of Sunday SuperClasico

LA GALAXY
The LA Galaxy had their winless run extended to a season-long three games, reaching a scoreless draw with the Portland Timbers on Wednesday evening at StubHub Center. The Galaxy are in a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference with 21 points from 15 matches.

LAST MATCH

• There were few chances to score in the contest. Galaxy fullback Sean Franklin came closest when he hit the post.
• Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was called upon to make four saves, as was Galaxy goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.
• Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made five changes to the team that suffered a 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Carlo Cudicini came in between the posts for Brian Rowe, Todd Dunivant started at left back in place of Greg Cochrane, Rafael Garcia and Robbie Rogers started in the midfield for Michael Stephens and the suspended Marcelo Sarvas, and Robbie Keane returned to the team in place of Jose Villarreal.
• LA GALAXY (4-1-3-2): Carlo Cudicini - Sean Franklin, Tommy Meyer, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant – Rafael Garcia (Pablo Mastroeni 91+) - Robbie Rogers (Colin Clark 69), Juninho (Hector Jimenez 93+), Gyasi Zardes - Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane

TEAM NEWS

• After conceding eight goals over the previous two matches, the Galaxy recorded their second shutout over the last four games. They are the first clean sheets on the defensive end since back-to-back shutouts April 20-27.
• “Given the last few weeks, most certainly happy to get a shutout, but we weren’t all that sharp going forward,” said Landon Donovan. “That being said, we had a couple really good chances, a little unlucky and then some good saves from Donovan [Ricketts], but all-in-all pretty good performance and we have to turn it around and win on Sunday.”
• With Omar Gonzalez not available after finishing his run with the U.S. national team for World Cup qualifying matches, Tommy Meyer made his third consecutive start in central defense.
• “A step forward [for the defense], keeping a shutout against a very hot team right now ...,” said center back A.J. DeLaGarza. “I don't remember anything that really troubled Carlo the entire game. We were in position to make plays when we needed to that we didn't make the last two games.”
• Todd Dunivant returned to the Galaxy back four after a four-match absence due to injury, just his third start since April 20.
• “That was our No. 1 priority tonight, was to get a shutout and have a good defensive performance,” said Dunivant. “That was without a doubt priority No. 1 and we accomplished that. Disappointing not to get the win and not get a goal, but we'll take a shutout.”
• With Robbie Keane back in the lineup after missing two matches due to national team duty, the Galaxy were shut out at the attacking end for the third time in five league games.
• “Getting Robbie (Keane) back helps, he is a big part of what we do. We had a number of good opportunities where generally we do a little bit better and make a real chance or two out of those opportunities, but that failed us,” said Landon Donovan. “But we can live with that. The performance, defensively we were better and I think we are getting back to our ways.”
• Robbie Rogers made his first league start for the Galaxy since joining the club, playing 69 minutes in a wide right role. Rogers had come off the substitutes’ bench in three consecutive MLS games.
• “It felt good to have a proper start to get back out there and be out there from the beginning. So, I think I have a long ways to go, but there were flashes where I felt I was getting my legs back and I thought I was moving quite well at times,” Rogers said. “That’s good to see, you know, after putting in a lot hard work that things are slowly coming back.”
• Said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena: “He’s making progress. He has a long way to go. But, that’s the only way he can get good is getting him in the games. I thought his first 15 or 20 minutes were very tentative, he got better and got into a rhythm the last part of the first half and the little bit better in the second half. It’s going to take some time.”
• Rafael Garcia made his first league start of the season, slotting into a deep-lying central midfield role, with Marcelo Sarvas serving a one-match ban. Garcia had made five league substitute appearances; his only start of the year came in the U.S. Open Cup loss.