CHIVAS USA vs FC DALLAS
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
August 21, 2013 (WEEK 26, MLS Game #231)
7:30 p.m. PT (TWCSN-TX)
Two clubs looking for a vital victory to spur a turnaround meet Wednesday night at StubHub Center when Chivas USA entertain FC Dallas. Chivas have won just once over the past five months, returning to action off a 1-1 home draw with Colorado 10 days ago when they went two men down. FC Dallas are in the throes of an 11-game winless run in league play, starting their road swing with a 2-1 loss at the Portland Timbers last weekend.
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REFEREE: Juan Guzman. AR1 (bench): George Gansner; AR2 (opposite): Fabio Tovar; 4th: Baldomero Toledo
MLS Career: 33 games; FC/gm: 24.6; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 9; pens: 6
DISABLED LIST: CHV: Daniel Antuñez … DAL: Peter Luccin; Ugo Ihemelu (season-ending injury)
SUSPENDED: CHV: Gabriel Farfan (through August 25), Tristan Bowen (through August 25)
WARNINGS:
- SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DAL: Blas Perez, Je-Vaughn Watson
- SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Mario de Luna, Bobby Burling, Carlos Alvarez, Gabriel Farfan, Tristan Bowen … DAL: George John, David Ferreira, Jackson
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (24 meetings): Chivas USA 6 wins, 27 goals … FC Dallas 10 wins, 30 goals … Ties 8
AT CHIVAS USA (11 meetings): Chivas USA 4 wins, 17 goals … FC Dallas 5 wins, 17 goals … Ties 2
2013 (MLS)
3/10: CHV 3, DAL 1 (Agudelo 68; Minda 76; Casillas 93+ -- Ferreira 57)
7/4: DAL 0, CHV 0
- The teams are playing for the third time this season. Chivas USA came back for a 3-1 win on March 10 in Carson as goals from Juan Agudelo, Oswaldo Minda and Giovani Casillas answered a David Ferreira strike; the teams played to a scoreless draw July 4 at FC Dallas Stadium.
- Before the win in the first meeting this season, Chivas USA had last defeated FC Dallas 2-0 on April 25, 2009 at The Home Depot Center. It snapped a seven-game FCD undefeated streak in the all-time series (4-0-3).
- Coaches record: Schellas Hyndman vs. CHV: P11 W4 L3 D4 … José Luis Real vs. DAL: P1 W0 L0 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS)
- The home side held the edge in possession, but failed to create many true chances. Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy was called upon to make just one save -- the best chance of the game, in the 86th minute, on a firm Blas Perez header off a Jair Benitez cross.
- FCD goalkeeper Raul Fernandez made seven saves, saving the points in the 94th minute as Chivas USA's Julio Morales smashed a shot from the top of the box that forced a reaction stop.
- FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Raul Fernandez - Zach Loyd, Stephen Keel, Matt Hedges, Jair Benitez - Andrew Jacobson (Fabian Castillo 73), Michel - Jackson (Eric Hassli 87), David Ferreira, Kenny Cooper (Ramon Nunez 64) - Blas Perez.
- CHIVAS USA (4-1-4-1): Dan Kennedy - Marky Delgado, Walter Vilchez, Mario de Luna, Josue Soto - Edgar Mejia - Eric Avila, Carlos Alvarez (Carlos Borja 58), Gabriel Farfan, Jorge Villafana (Jose Rivera 76) - Jose Correa (Julio Morales 69).
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA return to action after a weekend off, stopping a two-game losing skid in their last match, a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids at StubHub Center. Chivas USA sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with 18 points from 23 matches.
LAST MATCH
- Chivas USA took the lead after just five minutes. Carlos Alvarez took a pass from Erick Torres just outside the top of the area and curled home a perfectly placed left-footed shot into the top left corner past Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin.
- The Rapids had a glorious opportunity to tie the game in the 27th minute when Steven Purdy was whistled for a handball inside the box, but Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy made a diving stop on Deshorn Brown’s penalty shot.
- Both sides went a man down on either side of halftime. Chivas midfielder Gabriel Farfan received a straight red card in the 33rd minute for stepping on Shane O’Neill’s shin, but Colorado's Tony Cascio was sent off in the 49th minute after receiving a second yellow card.
- Chivas were then left with nine men in the 63rd minute when Tristan Bowen was given a straight red for spitting toward Colorado defender Chris Klute.
- The leveler came in the 80th minute. Klute swung in a cross from the left flank and Martin Rivero snapped home a header from the heart of the area.
- Chivas USA head coach José Luis Real made three changes to the team that lost 2-0 to the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium. Steve Purdy came into central defense for the suspended Carlos Bocanegra, and Carlos Alvarez and Gabriel Farfan came into the team in place of Edgar Mejia and Julio Morales.
- CHIVAS USA (4-1-4-1): Dan Kennedy - Marky Delgado, Steve Purdy, Mario de Luna, Josue Soto (Edgar Mejia 89) - Carlos Borja – Tristan Bowen (ejected 63), Carlos Alvarez (Bobby Burling 83), Gabriel Farfan (ejected 33), Eric Avila (Jorge Villafana 66) - Erick Torres.
TEAM NEWS
- Chivas USA saw their latest winless streak stretched to three games following the result vs. Colorado, and have won just once in their last 18 league matches, dating back to the start of April.
- “Red cards change games, without a doubt. We did really well to stand the pressure they put on us,” said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. “You have to commend the guys, it’s not easy. They were running around a lot tonight and putting in a shift. There are massive positives from this game, we’re grinding, we’re putting in a shift and trying to be spoilers and staying in the fight.”
- For the fourth time in the last five matches Chivas USA ended the game shorthanded, this time two men down after both Gabriel Farfan and Tristan Bowen were expelled.
- “The cards have affected us first because we have not been able to keep a constant lineup, and it’s there where we have to work a lot because what we need in the team is to maintain a continuous lineup. Unfortunately, the red cards have kept us from achieving that,” said Chivas USA head coach José Luis Real.
- Erick Torres has two goals and one assist in four games since joining Chivas USA from brother club CD Guadalajara in Mexico, setting the lone Chivas goal in their last match, a 1-1 home draw with Colorado on Aug. 10.
- “When it was 11-on-11 or even 10-on-10, the team looked much better,” Torres said. “We could compete and could have even taken this match. We appreciate the work we put in on that pitch, but we’ve got to see why this is happening. We’ve got to talk as a team because we can’t be undisciplined. With regards to the coaching staff, it’d be good to sanction those that are committing these disciplinary mistakes. We can’t be leaving the team down a man or down two, so whatever the coaching staff thinks up with will be welcomed.”
- Bobby Burling made his first appearance in three matches – and just his third since making the last of his 11 starts on June 1 – coming on for the final seven minutes after overcoming concussion symptoms.
- “Going into the mix with six, seven, eight minutes left is a difficult task,” Burling said. “It’s hard to adjust to the pace of the game and you just hope to come in with energy and some spark to be able to help with whatever is needed.”
- José Manuel Rivera, who has made just one appearance over the last six matches, could move into one of the two midfield spots with the suspensions to Farfan and Bowen. Rivera has five goals and two assists with the reserves.
- “Playing extra time and other games help a lot,” Rivera said. “It’s not the same pressure or intensity, but it helps, as a game isn’t the same as a training session. Staying active is very important and besides, I have been lucky to score and have kept adding rhythm to my playing time.”
FC DALLAS
FC Dallas had their winless streak extended to 11 matches, the Portland Timbers answering back for a 2-1 victory on Saturday evening at Jeld-Wen Field. FCD is in a tie for seventh place in the Western Conference with 33 points from 24 matches.
LAST MATCH
- The Timbers broke through in the 26th minute when Diego Valeri sent a corner kick to the middle of the six, where Ryan Johnson met it with a powerful header to beat FC Dallas goalkeeper Raúl Fernández.
- FCD countered right back two minutes later when a clever through ball from Fabián Castillo found a streaking Mauro Díaz, who finished brilliantly past Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.
- But just five minutes later Portland regained the lead, again set up by Valeri. He made a run to just outside the area, unlocking Nagbe from the right wing with a perfectly placed pass, and Nagbe unleashed a blast Fernández into the far top upper corner.
- FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman made three changes to the team that came back for a 3-3 draw with the LA Galaxy in Frisco. Raul Fernandez returned from international duty in place of Chris Seitz, Michel started in the back four in place of Zach Loyd, and Mauro Diaz came into the team for Andrew Jacobson.
- FC DALLAS (4-2-3-1): Raul Fernandez - Kellyn Acosta (Kenny Cooper 83), George John, Matt Hedges, Michel - Erick, David Ferreira - Jackson (Je-Vaughn Watson 77), Mauro Diaz (Ramon Nunez 73), Fabian Castillo - Blas Perez.
TEAM NEWS
- FC Dallas saw their winless streak extended to 11 games, two games shy of the 13-game streak set last season, from April 21-July 7. FCD last won a league game on May 25, a 1-0 win against San Jose.
- “There are positives to take. We scored a great goal by a young player who continues to improve himself. Of course the scoreline isn’t one we wanted, but we will look back at the tape and find the positives to take from tonight,” said striker Kenny Cooper. Added Kellyn Acosta: “I feel like we’re on the comeback. We were on a scoreless drought, but the last few games we’ve been scoring the goals. If we continue to remain confident and continue to push forward we will earn those three points.”
- FC Dallas Designated Player Mauro Diaz made his first MLS start and scored his first MLS goal
- David Ferreira moved into a deeper lying role in the center of the park, with Erick serving as the holding midfielder. Diaz figured as the underneath forward with Blas Perez still the spearhead in attack. Perez contributed his first assist of the season.
- “I thought the offense was playing quite well. … I think it was Díaz, settling things down and making good penetrating passes. This is the first game that he has really played for us. The coordination and the feel of what is going on the pitch at that moment really showed us good soccer.”
- With Zach Loyd sidelined with a knee injury, Kellyn Acosta made a second consecutive start, this time shifting over to right back. His first professional start came at left back.
- Michel made his first start in three matches, coming in at left back. He had last featured in the back four on June 29 vs. Philadelphia.
- “Erick’s a great [holding] midfielder,” Michel said. "What he does best is stay in a defensive position and we didn’t really have that before, a true defensive midfielder. It gives us more confidence going up, knowing that Erick’s in that position."
- Fabian Castillo provided his second assist of the season, his first since March 10, the first meeting of the season with Chivas USA.
