CHIVAS USA vs HOUSTON DYNAMO
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
May 3, 2014 (WEEK 9, MLS Game #77)
7:30 p.m. PT (CSN-Hou)
Two teams riding looking to reverse lengthy winless runs meet when Chivas USA play host to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at StubHub Center. Chivas saw their current streak extended to seven games without a victory last weekend, in a 1-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. The Dynamo snapped a string of losses but are still six matches without a victory following their 1-1 home draw with the Portland Timbers on Sunday.
REFEREE: Sorin Stoica. AR1 (bench): Kermit Quisenberry; AR2 (opposite): Adam Wienckowski; 4th: Kevin Stott
MLS Career: 20 games; FC/gm: 28.3; Y/gm: 4.4; R: 9; pens: 11
SUSPENDED: CHV: Dan Kennedy (through May 4)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Oswaldo Minda … HOU: Jermaine Taylor
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (18 meetings): Chivas USA 2 wins, 13 goals … Dynamo 11 wins, 33 goals … Ties 5
AT CHIVAS (8 meetings): Chivas USA 2 wins, 10 goals … Dynamo 3 wins, 10 goals … Ties 3
LAST YEAR (MLS):
9/21: HOU 5, CHV 1 (Barnes 39, 54; Bruin 63; Garcia 79, 91+ -- Avila 50)
- This is the only league meeting between the teams this season.
- The Dynamo defeated Chivas USA 5-1 a year ago at StubHub Center, their largest victory ever in the series. All-time in Houston, Chivas USA are winless in league play (0-8-2).
- The Dynamo have won the last two meetings between the teams, over the last two seasons, since a Chivas USA 3-0 victory on July 23, 2011. That was Chivas USA’s first win against Houston since 2006.
- Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. CHV: P20 W13 L2 D7 … Wilmer Cabrera vs. HOU: first game
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA saw their winless run extended to seven games, the San Jose Earthquakes getting the only goal of the match for a victory Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. Chivas USA sit in a tie for seventh place in the Western Conference with 6 points from 8 games.
LAST MATCH
- The game's lone goal came in the 66th minute. Running onto a lofted cross from Shea Salinas from the left touchline, substitute Yannick Djalo volleyed the ball first-time at the far post to put the Quakes into the lead.
- The Chivas struggle was made even more difficult in the 77th minute when goalkeeper Dan Kennedy was shown a red card for an intentional handball outside of the box as he attempted to stop an Alan Gordon breakaway.
- Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 to Seattle Sounders FC at StubHub Center. Donny Toia came into the back four in place of Andrew Jean-Baptiste, and Oswaldo Minda started in midfield for the suspended Marky Delgado.
- CHIVAS USA (4-2-3-1): Dan Kennedy (ejected 77) - Eric Avila, Bobby Burling, Carlos Bocanegra, Donny Toia - Oswaldo Minda, Agustin Pelletieri (Tim Melia 79)- Mauro Rosales (Adolfo Bautista 69), Carlos Alvarez (Luke Moore 86), Leandro Barrera - Erick Torres.
TEAM NEWS
- Chivas USA have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, but still saw their winless run reach seven games after winning the season opener on March 2.
- “The whole team looks good,” Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera said. “I don’t think anyone that came to the game would say, ‘Wow, Chivas USA came to defend and keep the ball away.’ No, we out-possessed and out-shot the other team, but [the Earthquakes] scored one goal. That one mistake or one situation where we didn’t finish; it’s separating us from the rest of the teams.”
- It was just the second time this season Chivas USA were shut out at the attacking end, although they have scored just eight goals through their eight games this season.
- “For whatever reason, we’ve been playing pretty well, but we just can’t put an entire game together offensively and defensively for 90 minutes,” defender Carlos Bocanegra said. “We’re close, but we have to put full games together.”
- With Marky Delgado suspended, Oswaldo Minda was able to return to the Chivas USA starting lineup for the first time since March 22, when he was forced out of the FC Dallas game before halftime with a hamstring injury.
- Donny Toia made his first career MLS start, coming in at left back and playing the full 90 minutes.
- “It’s hard when you have to keep the same speech every time, but we’re not going to give up,” said Cabrera. “I think the players noticed they’re playing well; they feel like they can compete against anyone in this league, but we have to be sure that we push each other to be more clinical and to be a little bit more effective.”
- There will certainly be a change between the posts after Dan Kennedy was sent off in the 77th minute. Tim Melia came on after Kennedy was sent off vs. San Jose.
- “I thought I could make a play on it, but [Alan] Gordon just got there before me,” Kennedy told reporters. “I don’t think I reacted with my hand, but sometimes that’s my reaction. It just barely clipped my fingers, so the referee did what he had to do.”
- Said defender Bobby Burling: “When we go a man down, then obviously we are pushing a little more and it turns a little into a track meet. It was a pretty hard fought game. I thought we had some good opportunities and some decent possession, but we need to do better in the final third and create some better chances.
- The shutout also kept alive another streak for Chivas: Every game where they have scored a goal, Erick Torres has scored, with six goals in eight games this season.
- “[Erick Torres] been scoring almost every goal for us,” Cabrera said. “But, yes, this is something we are trying to push. If we cover our feet, we uncover our head. If we cover our head, we uncover our feet. You can’t have everything at the same time unless you are Real Madrid, Chelsea or one of those teams. In MLS, all the teams have to work on different things to adjust. Right now, we are building a good team to have more stability in the back.” Said Torres: “I don’t take it as pressure. I have scored the goals, but it’s been thanks to the team’s work,” Torres said. “We’re working so that if there’s a situation when I’m marked by two or three defenders, my teammates can take advantage, generate dangerous chances and score goals.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo ended their goalless run, but saw their winless streak extended to six matches in a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers on Sunday afternoon at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 8 points from 8 games.
LAST MATCH
- The Dynamo opened the scoring in the 16th minute. Brad Davis played a perfect cross into the box, and a wide-open Will Bruin headed the cross past Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.
- But the Timbers countered in the 34rd minute. Midfielder Kalif Alhassan hit a pass into the Dynamo box that deflected off Davis and into the path of Gaston Fernandez, and he hammered a first-time effort into the upper-right corner of the goal to pull the Timbers level.
- Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made two changes to the team that fell 4-0 to the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. Kofi Sarkodie and Brad Davis both came back into the side, in place of Tony Cascio and Ricardo Clark.
- HOUSTON DYNAMO (4-3-1-2): Tally Hall - Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor, David Horst, Corey Ashe - Boniek Garcia, Warren Creavalle (Servando Carrasco 64), Andrew Driver - Brad Davis (Brian Ownby 79) - Giles Barnes, Will Bruin (Mark Sherrod 90).
TEAM NEWS
- The Dynamo put an end to their three-game goalless run, but still saw their winless streak extended to six matches in the draw with Portland. The Dynamo shutout streak at the attacking end ended after 335 minutes, longest in MLS this season.
- “The guys really worked hard by creating some good chances. They were a little lucky on their goal, a little bit of a deflection fell in their favor, and it was a game of possession,” Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “I thought we had some very good chances and some good saves but unfortunately we didn’t come out with the three points but the effort was still wonderful, we defended very intelligently and it was good for us.”
- Will Bruin scored his fourth goal of the season, his first since netting three times in the opening two matches of the season, his last coming in the 1-0 win vs. Montréal on March 15.
- “It’s always good when you can score, coming off two games where we didn’t score which weren’t about a lack of chances,” said Bruin. “We’re getting our chances; it was good to see it go in this time. Obviously, we want three points but I think we played really well given the circumstance and I think it’s something that can help us get the ball rolling and get things going the right way all while getting the guys’ confidence back.”
- Brad Davis was able to return to the lineup since being forced off at halftime of the April 5 loss to FC Dallas with a hamstring injury, and collected his third assist of the season. Davis does have an assist in each of his last three appearances.
- “He’s a good player. During the run of play he wants the ball, he makes the right passes, obviously his cross to Will was very well taken,” Kinnear said. “So he was good, it’s an easy question to answer. All of a sudden we’re a better team when he’s available for us.”
- Said Davis: “Everything felt good. Happy to get 80 minutes, felt good to be back out there with my teammates and looking forward to continually progress to getting back. To be back on the field and contribute in a positive way always feels good.”
- After playing in the back four in the New York match, Warren Creavalle remained in the first team, but this time moved into a holding midfield role in place of the injured Ricardo Clark.
- “I think we showed a lot more today, I think we were the team that was pushing towards the end to get a win and obviously we’re disappointed with the draw but I think there were a lot more positives there,” said midfielder Andrew Driver.
- Midfielder Tony Cascio, on loan from the Colorado Rapids, will be out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.
