Real Salt Lake vs. Chivas USA: MLS Match Preview

REAL SALT LAKE vs CHIVAS USA

RIO TINTO STADIUM, Sandy, Utah

April 20, 2013 (WEEK 8, MLS Game #67)
7 p.m. MT (KUCW)

The expansion class of 2005 once again renew their relationship when Real Salt Lake play host to Chivas USA at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real return home after concluding a two-game road swing with a 1-1 draw at Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Chivas USA saw their four-game undefeated streak come to an end last weekend, dropping a 1-0 decision to theColorado Rapids.

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REFEREE: Jorge Gonzalez. AR1 (bench): Adam Wienckowski; AR2 (opposite): Matthew Nelson; 4th: Allen Chapman
MLS Career: 91 games; FC/gm: 25.2; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 27; pens: 23

DISABLED LIST: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Bobby Burling
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (23 meetings): Real 9 wins, 29 goals … Chivas USA 10 wins, 30 goals … Ties 4
AT SALT LAKE (10 meetings): Real 4 wins, 15 goals … Chivas USA 3 wins, 10 goals … Ties 3
RETURN MATCHES: 5/19: Chivas USA vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m. PT; 10/23: Real Salt Lake vs. Chivas USA, 7 p.m.MT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
3/24: RSL 0, CHV 1 (Townsend 72)
6/16: CHV 0, RSL 3 (Espindola 41, 54; Johnson 94+)
9/29: CHV 0, RSL 4 (Saborio 8, 11, 65; Paulo Jr 81)

• Real Salt Lake have won four consecutive matches at The Home Depot Center vs. Chivas, including 3-0 and 4-0 victories in the last two meetings a year ago. Chivas won the initial encounter last year, a 1-0 victory at Rio Tinto Stadium.
• The last five meetings between the two teams, over the past two seasons, have ended in a shutout. The visiting team has won on the last four occasions.
• Coaches record: Jason Kreis vs. CHV: P14 W7 L6 D1 … José Luis Sánchez Solá v RSL: first game

REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake were able to get a point from their latest two-game road swing, reaching a 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday afternoon at BC Place. RSL sits in a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with 8 points from 7 games.

LAST MATCH

• Real Salt Lake took the lead in the 66th minute through a sensational goal from Olmes García. Collecting a pass from Javier Morales outside the area on the left, García curled an effort into the top right corner of Joe Cannon’s goal.
• But the equalizer came seven minutes from the end. RSL defender Nat Borchers slipped and handled a ball in the box, and referee Drew Fischer pointed to the spot. Camilo sent RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando the wrong way on the penalty, hitting the ball into the bottom left of the goal.
• RSL head coach Jason Kreis made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Lovel Palmer came into the back four for Abdoulie Mansally, Javier Morales started in midfield for Sebastian Velasquez, and Joao Plata came in up top in place of Devon Sandoval.
• REAL SALT LAKE (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Tony Beltran, Chris Schuler, Nat Borchers, Lovel Palmer - Luis Gil, Kyle Beckerman (Yordany Alvarez 31), Ned Grabavoy - Javier Morales (Khari Stephenson 79) - Joao Plata (Olmes Garcia 56), Alvaro Saborio.

TEAM NEWS

• Since a season-opening 2-0 at San Jose, Real have gone 0-3-1 away from Rio Tinto Stadium, opening the season with five road games of the first seven. RSL kicks off a three-game homestand with the Chivas match, before heading back out on the road for three consecutive games.
• “Any time you walk out of a place with a point, that’s a result and it’s that kind of result you’re going to need towards the end of the season,” said RSL head coach Jason Kreis. Added Javier Morales: “We have to because in the games we played away, it was tough for us. We won one and tied this one. Maybe we need to improve our performance on the road. … I believe it is a little bit mental, you know? Sometimes when you play away, you say ‘OK, if we tie, we tie. If we lose, we lose.’ So maybe we need to change that mentality.”
• Making his first start of the season, Morales recorded his first assist of the year, setting up the goal by Olmes Garcia.
• “The most important thing for me at this moment is that my knee is OK,” said Morales. “I think we did a great job most of the time. They got the PK, you know. I want to see it again on TV, but I think we’re happy.”
• Making his third substitute appearance of the season, over the last four games, Olmes García scored his first MLS goal. “I think that individual play is great,” said Kreis of the goal. “Do I think that there could have been more plays in that game and perhaps should have been plays in that game? Yeah, so I think there is still a lot of improvement needed on his part. I hope that we all don’t feel that he just scored one goal so his job is done because there is a whole lot more left to be done.”
• Kyle Beckerman started in his usual holding midfield role, but had to come off after just a half-hour, replaced by Yordany Alvarez.
• “Kyle had picked up an injury actually on Thursday and it was real questionable as to whether we were going to play him,” said Kreis. “I believe that the coach made an error and played him when he probably should have taken a moderate approach and not played him because it cost us a substitution. But credit to Kyle, he wants to play through everything … and I appreciate his courage but coaches got to do better now.”
• Goalkeeper Nick Rimando made a season-high six saves, facing seven shots on target, the most saves he’s made in a league game since March 19, 2011, when he made eight saves in a 1-0 win vs. San Jose.
• “Rimando has just been electrifying for us at the beginning of the year. Typically he takes a little longer to get going, but he’s been amazing,” said Kreis. “He’s kept us in multiple games now, giving us a chance to pick up points. So hat’s off to him.”

READ: RSL's Rimando wins Week 7 Save of the Week honors

CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA saw their undefeated streak come to an end after four games, falling 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. Chivas USA sit in second place in the Western Conference with 10 points from 6 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The Rapids took an early lead after Chivas midfielder Eric Avila brought down Deshorn Brown just inside the area, and referee Kevin Stott pointed to the post. Brown converted his own penalty, fooling goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.
• Chivas USA had a glorious opportunity of their own later in the first half with a penalty kick, but José Correa saw his attempt bounce off the crossbar.
• Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin posted his second consecutive shutout, credited with two saves for the match.
• Chivas head coach Jose Luis Sánchez Sola made two changes to the team that recorded a 2-1 victory against
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC at The Home Depot Center. Daniel Antunez came into the midfield in place of Oswaldo Minda, and Jose Correa started up top for Juan Agudelo.
• CHIVAS USA (3-2-3-2): Dan Kennedy - Mario de Luna, Joaquin Velazquez, Bobby Burling - Edgar Mejia, Daniel Antunez (Laurent Courtois 31) - Eric Avila, Carlos Alvarez, Jorge Villafana (Marvin Iraheta 63) - Tristan Bowen (Juan Agudelo 58), Jose Correa.

READ: With Chivas USA hit by injuries in the midfield, Marvin Iraheta eyes his chance
TEAM NEWS

• Chivas USA saw their two-game winning streak and four-game undefeated streak come to an end.
• “The only path that we have now, is hard work. We don’t have any other choice,” said José Luis Sánchez Solá (Chelís). “We thought we would get an easy win because our past results. We were unbeaten in four games and we thought we were hot stuff and of course, we got away from the hard work, which should be our only path.”
• The rojiblancos were shut out for the first time since their season-opening 3-0 home loss to Columbus.
•  “We weren’t very decisive, we weren’t very convincing compared to our last games,” said Chelís. “Sometimes we hit the jackpot, today we didn’t. We know the road ahead of us is a tough road, but it’s the only road we have.”
• Chivas suffered a big blow when Daniel Antunez – making his first career MLS start – suffered a torn knee ligament as a sprained anterior collateral ligament and medial collateral ligament. He will be out indefinitely.
• “He had been playing really well for us,” defender Bobby Burling said. “It’s a bummer, but as teammates we’re here by his side.”
• After having played just one game away from The Home Depot Center this season, Chivas now have four of the next six contests on the road.
• José Correa made his second start of the season, his first since the March 17 SuperClásico vs LA. He saw his penalty kick attempt saved for what would have been his first goal of the season.
• “We made too many mistakes,” Correa said. “We could have tied it; I had the game on my foot. But this means we’ve got to keep working. Now we have to focus on what’s to come.”
• Said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy: “It’s not Correa’s fault by any means. It’s just one of those games. We gave them way too many opportunities and they kind of got going. In the second half we adjusted a little better. We cut a little better. Home games we expect to win, but in the end it’s still early in the season and we still have a lot of points to show for and we’re just going to get on with it.”