With opening day less than a week away, Chivas USA have their sights set on becoming a more physically dominant team for the 2009 season. As preseason comes to a close, a few of the Red-and-White's senior players are focusing on improving the team's ability to match up against some of the league's bigger and stronger opposition.
While Chivas USA enjoyed success in the 2008 season, finishing second in the Western Conference and making the playoffs for the third consecutive year, the team was often susceptible to losing very rough or chippy games.
"I think we need to be more physical this season -- find a way to make it tougher for teams to play against us," said veteran midfielder Sasha Victorine.
A quick analysis of Chivas USA's 2008 season reveals that the Red-and-White did, in fact, struggle with opponents who used a more physical approach to the game. Assuming the number of fouls committed in a match is a fair measure of how rough the play is, the Red-and-White suffered a full 19 percent more fouls in games they lost versus games they won.
In other words, when opposing teams pushed Chivas USA around, they often won the game.
"Other teams try to bring the match to us in a physical manner because they know that's not necessarily our strength," said Chivas USA captain Jesse Marsch. "But we've been discussing it and dealing with it in the preseason."
It's not difficult to see why Chivas USA often receives such treatment. With as potent an offense as the Red-and-White has, it's often the only way to quell the Chivas USA attack. Over the course of the 2008 campaign, head coach Preki's men put 10 percent more shots on goal than their opponents, making them a dangerous squad to handle.
"People will always try to limit our space and our time on the ball," said Marsch, "because they know that we have good passers and good shooters."
Last Friday's meeting with the Houston Dynamo was a good indicator of Chivas USA's progress toward adding a more physical component to its game. In a match that included five yellow cards and a straight red, the Red-and-White held firm against a powerful Houston team, earning a 2-2 draw.
It might have been a statement from the Red-and-White to the rest of the Western Conference: apparently, you can't push Chivas USA around anymore.
"We need to be ready for more physical battles this season," said Marsch. "And we will be."
Jeffrey King is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
