Chivas USA vs. Portland Timbers | MLS Match Preview

CHIVAS USA vs PORTLAND TIMBERS
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
May 28, 2014 (WEEK 13, MLS Game #115)
7:30 p.m. PT (KPDX/Estrella)

Two teams aiming to make a move up the Western Conference table meet at midweek when Chivas USA play host to the Portland Timbers on Wednesday evening at StubHub Center. Chivas sit at the foot of the division standings but return home off a two-game undefeated road swing, their last match a 1-1 draw at FC Dallas. The Timbers are just a point ahead of Chivas USA, but have now gone five games without defeat, coming off a 2-1 win at the New York Red Bulls last weekend.

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REFEREE: Edvin Jurisevic. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Jeff Hosking; 4th: Juan Guzman
MLS Career: 73 games; FC/gm: 22.4; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 11; pens: 11

SUSPENDED: CHV: Oswaldo Minda (caution accumulation; through May 28) … POR: Alvas Powell (through May 28)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Carlos Alvarez, Bobby Burling … POR: Norbetto Paparetto, Diego Chara, Pa Modou Kah
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CHV: Marvin Chavez (HON)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (9 meetings): Chivas USA 4 wins, 7 goals … Timbers 3 wins, 12 goals … Ties 2
AT CHIVAS USA (4 meetings): Chivas USA 2 wins, 3 goals … Timbers 1 win, 6 goals … Ties 1
FUTURE MATCH: 8/9: Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA, 7:30 p.m. PT

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. A Will Johnson goal in the fourth minute canceled out by an Erick Torres tally late in the match to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw, April 12 at Providence Park.
• When the Timbers defeated Chivas USA 5-0 last Oct. 26, it was their first win ever at StubHub Center. They were 0-5-2 combined previously in Carson against both Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy.
• Coaches record: Wilmer Cabrera vs. POR: P1 W0 L0 T1 … Caleb Porter vs. CHV: P4 W2 L0 T2

LAST MEETING (MLS)
4/12: POR 1, CHV 1 (Johnson 7 – Torres 74)

• The Timbers took the lead after just seven minutes. Maximiliano Urruti picked up a failed Chivas USA clearance and threaded a pass to Darlington Nagbe, who sliced a pass through two defenders to Will Johnson in open space. His rolling shot from just outside the box slipped past Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.
• But the visitors hit for the equalizer 16 minutes from time. Following a long pass down the left wing, Leandro Barrera crossed to the far post to an open Erick Torres, who tapped in for the easiest of finishes.
• PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-1-2-3): Donovan Ricketts - Alvas Powell, Pa Modou Kah, Mamadou Danso, Michael Harrington - Diego Valeri - Diego Chara, Will Johnson - Kalif Alhassan (Gaston Fernandez 62), Maximiliano Urruti, Darlington Nagbe.
• CHIVAS USA (4-2-3-1): Dan Kennedy - Eric Avila, Eriq Zavaleta, Carlos Bocanegra, Andrew Jean-Baptiste - Carlos Alvarez, Agustin Pelletieri - Mauro Rosales, Thomas McNamara (Marky Delgado 65), Leandro Barrera (Kris Tyrpak 88) - Erick Torres (Bobby Burling 90).

CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA return to action after stretching their undefeated run to a modest two games, reaching a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas on May 17 at Toyota Stadium. Chivas USA sit in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with 10 points from 11 games.

LAST MATCH

• Chivas USA took the lead in the 60th minute. Martin Rivero switched the ball to Mauro Rosales on the right flank, and he sent a sharp cross to midfielder Marco Delgado, who finished it past FCD goalkeeper Raul Fernandez for his first career goal, a day after his 19th birthday.
• But FC Dallas pulled even in the 83rd minute. Fabian Castillo slipped between defenders to get into the goal area and got onto the end of a cross from Jair Benitez, redirecting it past Dan Kennedy for the equalizer.
• Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera made one change to the team that rolled to a 3-1 win against the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Mauro Rosales came back into the team in place of Agustin Pelletieri.
• CHIVAS USA (4-2-3-1): Dan Kennedy - Eric Avila, Bobby Burling, Carlos Bocanegra, Donny Toia - Oswaldo Minda, Martin Rivero - Mauro Rosales (Eriq Zavaleta 87), Marky Delgado, Leandro Barrera (Carlos Alvarez 62) - Erick Torres (Ryan Finley 79)

TEAM NEWS

• Chivas USA return to StubHub Center after a two-game road swing where they took four of a possible six points following the draw at FC Dallas.
• “When we lose, we don’t give up, and when we have won, we know the next one won’t be easy,” Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera said. “We go game by game and work throughout the week. The results you can see on the field and, little by little, we’re getting there.”
• The equalizing goal for FC Dallas came with seven minutes to play, the seventh goal Chivas USA have allowed in the final 15 minutes of matches, tied for second-most in MLS this season (with Sporting KC and Philadelphia, behind Portland with eight).
• “Fantastic result for us. Two-game road trip and we got four points in total, so it's really a great step for our team and something to build off of,” said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. “We don't like conceding goals, but given the circumstances, we'll take a tie in that game.”
• Marky Delgado scored his first professional goal, in his 23rd career league appearance over three seasons after signing as a Homegrown Player in 2012.
• “I’ve known Marky since he was in the residency program,” Cabrera said. “He’s a good player and he’s getting more mature, getting there and getting better. It’s important for him and the whole tram; Marky scored, but the whole team was working to provide that opportunity.”
• Said Delgado: “I've worked hard all my life, ever since I was a youngin' to get to this point, and to finally get my first MLS goal, I couldn't really celebrate. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to go down in tears, but it's during the game. It's a dream come true to me.”
• Making his second consecutive start since coming to Chivas USA, Martin Rivero recorded his second assist in those games.
• Mauro Rosales returned to the starting lineup after a two-match absence and recorded his fourth assist of the season, his first since March 22 when he had three assists over the opening two games of the season.

PORTLAND TIMBERS
The Portland Timbers extended their undefeated run to five games with their second victory of the campaign, coming back for a 2-1 win against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening at Red Bull Arena. The Timbers are in sixth place in the Western Conference with 13 points from 12 games.

LAST MATCH

• The Red Bulls took the lead in the 35th minute after Timbers center back Pa Modou Kah brought down Lloyd Sam in the penalty area and referee Drew Fischer pointed to the spot. Bradley Wright-Phillips stepped up to take the spot kick and converted it for his 10th goal of the season.
• The Timbers struck back seconds before halftime. Maximiliano Urruti saw he had space and unleashed a shot from about 20 yards out that took a deflection before beating New York goalkeeper Luis Robles.
• The winner came 16 minutes before the final whistle, as Urruti struck again after a cross from the left made its way to the back post and the Timbers striker banged in the rebound.
• Timbers head coach Caleb Porter made two changes to the team that reached a 3-3 draw with the Columbus Crew at Providence Park. Rauwshan McKenzie and Jorge Villafana came into the back four, in place of Mamadou Danso and the suspended Alvas Powell.
• PORTLAND TIMBERS (4-2-3-1): Donovan Ricketts - Jack Jewsbury, Rauwshan McKenzie (Norberto Paparatto 79), Pa Modou Kah, Jorge Villafana - Will Johnson, Ben Zemanski - Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri (Gaston Fernandez 92+), Steve Zakuani - Maximiliano Urruti (Fanendo Adi 84).

TEAM NEWS

• The Timbers extended their undefeated streak to five games with the win at New York. They have played to seven draws in their first 12 games this season. A year ago they played in 15 ties to lead MLS, one shy of the league’s single-season record (set in 2011 by New York and Chicago).
• “I thought after we gave [up] the first goal we were the better team the rest of the game. I thought until the first goal they were probably better, they had us on our heels a little bit, but after we gave up the goal you saw the response,” said Timbers head coach Caleb Porter. “We showed what we are capable of. I thought we were very dangerous all night, I thought we defended well overall. It looked like the old Timbers.”
• Said midfielder Will Johnson: “It’s kind of getting hit in the face, but we don’t get knocked down. You better knock us out if you want to take a punch at us because we’re going to come back fighting, and that’s exactly what we did.”
• Maximiliano Urruti scored a pair of goals – and now has three goals in the last two games – in scoring multiple goals in a game for the first time in his MLS career.
• “We believe in Maxi, early in the year he missed some chances and lost a little bit of confidence, but he's in great form right now and that's exactly what you want out of your strikers. He and Gaston [Fernandez] and even [Fanendo] Adi, all have done well recently with their minutes,” said Porter. “Right now we have all three of our strikers playing pretty well. That will be important down the stretch.”
• Rauwshan McKenzie made his first start of the season at center back, his first minutes in a league match since Aug. 30 of last year.
• Center back Norberto Paparatto also saw his first action since April 5, coming on as a late substitute. He had started four of the season’s first five games.
• Jorge Villafana also made his first start for the Timbers after his arrival from Chivas USA in the offseason, playing the full match at left back.
• “I thought it was key that some of the new guys we inserted did well, like Jorge Villafana, Rauwshan McKenzie and [Norberto] Paparatto,” Porter said. “I thought Rauwshan McKenzie was really good all night, he hasn't played a lot of minutes and he went into a very difficult situation playing a great team on the road and I thought he was up for it against two of the best strikers in the league. And then Paparatto went in and he made two or three good plays he needed to make. I thought it was a real team effort tonight and we can build off this moving forward.”
• Said Urruti: “It always helps out the player to get minutes. Continuity is very important and little by little I'm getting used to the league and that's one of the most important things.”
• Steve Zakuani recorded an assist for a second consecutive game, making his fourth consecutive start in a wide attacking role.