Chivas USA vs. Seattle Sounders | MLS Match Preview

CHIVAS USA vs SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.

June 1, 2013 (WEEK 14, MLS Game #128)
7:30 p.m. PT (KING-NBC/KOMO2)

Chivas USA will look to put an end to a long losing slide and get the José Luis Real era off to a good start when they play host to Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday evening at The StubHub Center. Chivas USA have lost four league games in a row, with José Luis Sánchez Solá leaving as head coach following a U.S. Open Cup win at midweek. Sounders FC saw their six-game league undefeated run come to an end last weekend in Carson in a loss to the LA Galaxy – then saw their remarkable Open Cup run end in a loss at midweek.

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REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. AR1 (bench): Ian Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Jeff Hosking; 4th: Jesus Cisneros
MLS Career: 166 games; FC/gm: 26.8; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 49; pens: 58

DISABLED LIST: SEA: Josh Ford
SUSPENDED: SEA: Shalrie Joseph (through June 9)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Mario de Luna … SEA: Eddie Johnson
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Tristan Bowen, Joaquin Velazquez, Bobby Burling
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CHV: Steve Purdy (El Salvador); Julio Morales (Mexico U-20); Marky Delgado (USA U-18) … SEA: Eddie Johnson, Brad Evans (both USA)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (10 meetings): Chivas USA 2 wins, 9 goals … Sounders FC 4 wins, 14 goals … Ties 4
AT CHIVAS (6 meetings): Chivas USA 2 wins, 7 goals … Sounders FC 2 wins, 10 goals … Ties 2
FUTURE MATCHES: 7/28: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Chivas USA, 8 p.m. PT (UDN); 9/4: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Chivas USA, 7 p.m. PT

LAST YEAR (MLS)
5/26: CHV 1, SEA 1 (Agudelo 57 – Estrada 61)
8/25: CHV 2, SEA 6 (Agudelo 38; Bolanos 64 – Evans 10; Montero 27, 34, 67; Ochoa 80; own goal 91+)
9/8: SEA 2, CHV 1 (Johnson 28, 89 – LaBrocca 8)

• Sounders FC are unbeaten in their last eight meetings with Chivas USA, since Chivas won the first two meetings ever between the clubs in 2009. Seattle has won four times with four draws, including a 6-2 victory last Aug. 25 at The Home Depot Center, the biggest victory in the club’s MLS history.
• The teams have also met twice in the U.S. Open Cup, both times in a semifinal, with Sounders FC advancing on each occasion, in 2010 and 2012.
• Coaches record: José Luis Real v SEA: first game … Sigi Schmid vs. CHV: P16 W5 L5 D6

CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA saw their losing streak extended to four games and their winless run reach seven contests, following a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Chivas USA sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with 11 points from 12 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The Rapids were in front just 11 minutes into the match. Following a string of one-touch passes, left back Chris Klute’s pinpoint cross into the box connected with a sliding Atiba Harris, who slotted past a helpless Dan Kennedy in the Chivas goal.
• The Rapids sealed the result in the 78th minute. Fullback Brian Mullan’s through ball found Deshorn Brown speeding down the right flank, and the rookie’s cross into the box found Nathan Sturgis open in front of net for an easy finish.
• Chivas head coach Jose Luis Sánchez Sola made five changes to the team that lost 4-1 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Carlos Borja, Mario de Luna, Josue Soto, Gabriel Farfan and Carlos Alvarez all came into the team, in place of Steve Purdy, Joaquin Velazquez, Walter Vilchez, Aaron Ponce and Miller Bolanos.
• CHIVAS USA (3-3-1-3): Dan Kennedy - Carlos Borja, Mario de Luna, Bobby Burling - Eric Avila, Edgar Mejia (Oswaldo Minda 37), Josue Soto - Gabriel Farfan (Marvin Iraheta 59) - Carlos Alvarez, Jose Correa (Jose Rivera 68), Jorge Villafana

TEAM NEWS

• The loss to Colorado ended up being the last MLS game in charge for El Chélis, Jose Luis Sánchez Sola, who parted ways with the club on Wednesday evening. José Luis Real will take over the coaching duties, while Sacha van der Most will handle the bench responsibilities on an interim basis for the Seattle match.
• Chivas USA lost a fourth consecutive match and saw their overall winless streak extended to seven games in the loss at Colorado. They have been outscored 13-1 over the losing run.
• “It’s one of those stretches that you look back in your career and remember,” defender Bobby Burling said. “It hurts. It’s not the first time it happens and it’s not the last time it will happen, but it’s definitely a tough stretch. The meetings we have, it’s only the people in the locker room that can change it. It’s us together and we’re trying to push forward in this thing as much as the next person.”
• It was also a fourth consecutive loss on the road – all by shutout – for Chivas USA. They have scored five goals in six away matches, four of those coming in a 4-1 win at Chicago on March 24.
• “We’re doing the work but it’s difficult as visitors. It’s tough to have more possession than the home team and tough to be more efficient with passing,” said forward José Manuel Rivera. “In the first six weeks we created our own luck, but luck also arrives spontaneously. I know it’s going to show up for us. The situation is difficult now, but we’re getting better.”
• Gabriel Farfán made his first start for Chivas USA, playing 58 minutes in the midfield. He came on as a second half substitute in the Real Salt Lake match following his trade from Philadelphia.
• Carlos Alvarez came back into the team, making his first start since April 27.
• "The good thing is that we have been improving. The truth is that there has been an idea since the beginning - keep improving. We knew that it was going to be difficult, because of the system; we are a totally new team, with many new players. We are improving," said Rivera.
• On Tuesday, Chivas USA advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup following a 2-1 win against the PDL LA Blues. Carlos Alvarez tied the score for Chivas in the 53rd minute – then goalkeeper Dan Kennedy converted a penalty kick nine minutes later for the match-winner.
• Here’s the Chivas team: Dan Kennedy, Carlos Borja, Mario de Luna, Joaquin Velazquez, Josue Soto (Eric Avila 22), Aaron Ponce (Gabriel Farfan 46’), Carlos Alvarez, Giovani Casillas (Jorge Villafaña 46’), Marvin Iraheta, Tristan Bowen, Miller Bolaños

READ: Chivas USA await Chelís replacement Real: "We have to move forward and he's our new leader"

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Seattle Sounders FC saw their six-game undefeated streak come to a crashing halt, falling 4-0 to the LA Galaxy on Sunday evening at The Home Depot Center. Sounders FC are in a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference with 15 points from 11 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The Galaxy were in the lead after just 12 minutes. Following a partially cleared corner kick, Robbie Keane played a give-and-go with Marcelo Sarvas on the right flank. Keane beat Jhon Kennedy Hurtado on the dribble and whipped the ball into the goalmouth for Sean Franklin to tap home.
• The Galaxy made it 2-0 as Keane hit for his first just 12 minutes later. After a short corner, Landon Donovan sent in a bristling cross from the right wing. It hit Omar Gonzalez, ricocheted off Seattle's Brad Evans and fell to Keane, who slotted into the right side of the net.
• LA put the game away from the penalty spot, with Keane finishing twice from the spot in the 34th and 44th minutes. On the first, after Gyasi Zardes was felled in the box by Sounders center back Djimi Traoré, Michael Gspurning stopped Keane's first effort. But referee Baldomero Toledo whistled Mauro Rosales for encroachment into the box, and Keane put his second try to the right side of the net.
• The fourth LA goal and Keane's third came after Evans took down Juninho from behind on a Zardes pass from the left byline, Keane beating Gspurning to the left side of the goal.
• Sounders midfielder Shalrie Joseph was sent off in the 87th minute after making contact with Marcelo Sarvas' face near midfield.
• Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid made three changes to the team that defeated FC Dallas 4-2 at CenturyLink Field. Mauro Rosales and Shalrie Joseph came into the midfield in place of Mario Martinez and Osvaldo Alonso, and Obafemi Martins started up top for Lamar Neagle.
• SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-1-3-2): Michael Gspurning - DeAndre Yedlin, Djimi Traore, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez - Servando Carrasco (David Estrada 65) - Mauro Rosales (Lamar Neagle 65), Shalrie Joseph (sent off 87), Brad Evans - Eddie Johnson (Mario Martinez 72), Obafemi Martins.

READ: Glass half-full - Sounders take stock, ready to focus on MLS campaign
TEAM NEWS

• Sounders FC had scored eight goals in two games before their trip to face the LA Galaxy – then allowed four goals in the loss, all in the first half. It tied the most goals Seattle has allowed in its MLS history, the most conceded by the club in a single half.
• "When you beat San Jose 4-0 that’s not going to say you’re going to win every game 4-0 and when you lose here 4-0 that’s not going to say you’re going to lose every game 4-0. You have to evaluate a body of work; you can’t react to an individual game or an individual 10 minutes or a half or whatever,” Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid said. “There’s got to be some accountability, and we’ll address that. The guys know they’re a better team than that, than what they showed in the first half. But on the same token, tonight they weren’t a better team than that. They got their rear ends handed to them.”
• Said goalkeeper Michael Gspurning: “It’s absolutely not up to our standard and we have to sit together and talk about this one. It’s important we stay together and sometimes, instead of pointing fingers, we as a team need to join together and figure it out.”
• In addition, Sounders FC allowed an MLS club-record 15 shots against, while taking their fewest ever in an MLS match (two) and tying the fewest attempts on target (zero).
• “When we did have the ball, we weren’t real sharp with our passing. Our passing was more negative and back. We tried to dump too many long balls instead of playing over the wings a little bit more,” Schmid said. “We never forced them to defend for periods of time, so we were constantly on our heels.”
• Obafemi Martins made his first MLS start since April 20, but saw his two-game goalscoring streak come to an end.
• Shalrie Joseph also made his first start since April 20, but will now certainly miss the Chivas game after he was sent off late.
• "It wasn’t our best game. From our form to our rhythm that we’ve had from past games, we did not have it,” said midfielder Mauro Rosales. “The first half was really a disaster. We have to move forward. It’s tough to solve but the team has enough experience to step up in the next few games.”
• On Wednesday, Sounders FC ensured they will not reach the U.S. Open Cup final for the first time since coming into MLS, when they were dumped out in the third round in a 1-0 loss to the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies. The game’s lone goal was scored by Georgi Hristov.
• Here’s the Sounders FC team: Marcus Hahnemann, Dylan Remick (Obafemi Martins 80), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Zach Scott, Marc Burch, Mario Martinez, Servando Carrasco, Andy Rose, Alex Caskey (Sammy Ochoa 68), David Estrada, Lamar Neagle.