Chivas USA vs. San Jose Earthquakes | MLS Match Preview

CHIVAS USA vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
Sept. 29, 2013 (WEEK 31, MLS Game #288)
8 p.m. PT (UniMas; CSN-CA)

Chivas USA play host to the San Jose Earthquakes in a crucial match for the visitors when the Western Conference foes clash Sunday evening at StubHub Center. The Earthquakes begin a stretch of three road games in the next four, sitting four points out of the playoff spots in the Western Conference after their 2-1 away victory at Real Salt Lake. Already eliminated from playoff contention, Chivas USA return home off of a 5-1 loss at the Houston Dynamo last weekend.

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REFEREE: Jose Carlos Rivero. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Eric Proctor; 4th: Jesus Cisneros

MLS Career: 19 games; FC/gm: 26.9; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 4; pens: 9

DISABLED LIST: CHV: Daniel Antuñez … SJ: Ty Harden, Peter McGlynn

SUSPENDED: none

WARNINGS:

SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: CHV: Carlos Alvarez, Mario de Luna, Oswaldo Minda … SJ: Clarence Goodson, Alan Gordon

SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHV: Bobby Burling, Gabriel Farfan, Tristan Bowen … SJ: Rafael Baca, Victor Bernardez, Sam Cronin, Chris Wondolowski

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME (18 meetings): Chivas USA 6 wins, 20 goals … Earthquakes 6 wins, 28 goals … Ties 6

AT CHIVAS USA (9 meetings): Chivas USA 3 wins, 12 goals … Earthquakes 2 wins, 11 goals … Ties 4

2013 (MLS)

4/27: CHV 2, SJ 2 (de Luna 47; Bowen 51 – Wondolowski 40; Cato 76)

8/3: SJ 2, CHV 0 (Wondolowski 45, 87)

• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Chris Wondolowski netted twice in a 2-0 San Jose victory on Aug. 3 at Buck Shaw Stadium; a late Cordell Cato goal pulled the Earthquakes back into a 2-2 draw, April 27 in Carson.
• The Quakes have won the last four meetings between the teams, including winning the final two meetings between the teams last season, winning 4-0 at Buck Shaw Stadium (Sept. 2) and 2-0 in Carson (Sept. 15).
• Coaches record: Mark Watson vs. CHV: P1 W1 L0 T0 … Jose Luis Real v SJ: P1 W0 L1 T0

LAST MEETING (MLS)

• The Quakes took the lead just before halftime. Steven Beitashour sent a long pass over the Chivas USA back line, which Victor Bernardez floated into the area for Chris Wondolowski to head home from just outside the six-yard box.
• Wondolowski hit for his and San Jose's second in the 87th minute to seal the victory, pouncing on the rebound from a Shea Salinas deflected shot and lifting it over a prone Dan Kennedy in the Chivas goal.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-2): Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour, Clarence Goodson, Victor Bernardez, Jordan Stewart - Cordell Cato (Jaime Alas 77), Sam Cronin, Rafael Baca, Shea Salinas (Mehdi Ballouchy 88) - Chris Wondolowski, Steven Lenhart (Adam Jahn 65).
• CHIVAS USA (4-4-2): Dan Kennedy - Marky Delgado, Mario de Luna, Carlos Bocanegra (sent off 62), Josue Soto - Tristan Bowen (Jorge Villafana 46), Edgar Mejia (Carlos Alvarez 76), Carlos Borja, Eric Avila - Erick Torres, Julio Morales (Steve Purdy 64).

CHIVAS USA

Chivas USA had their modest two-game undefeated run come to a crashing halt, falling to a 5-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. Chivas USA sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with 26 points from 30 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The Dynamo took the lead in the 39th minute. Brad Davis placed a corner kick in the perfect spot for Giles Barnes, who shook loose of a defender to nod home the game’s first goal. Davis became the seventh player to notch 100 regular-season assists in MLS history.
• Chivas found an equalizer in the 50th minute. A giveaway led to a shot from Carlos Alvarez, whose effort clanged off the left post. But the rebound floated across the box and Eric Avila headed it into the empty net.
• Houston grabbed the lead back just four minutes later. Barnes was played in on an excellent through ball by Ricardo Clark, and he cashed in from just outside the penalty area.
• In the 63rd minute, the Dynamo made it 3-0. Chivas USA defender Steve Purdy seemed to have clearance of a through ball under control, only for the ball to nick past his outstretched foot and fall kindly for Will Bruin as he advanced into the penalty box alone, and he made no mistake, placing his effort out of goalkeeper Dan Kennedy’s reach.
• The Dynamo made it 4-1 in the 79th minute following a fluid passing sequence where Boniek Garcia was the beneficiary, knocking home a low bouncer. The rout was complete in stoppage time after Garcia converted a penalty kick goal after a handball at the goal line.
• Chivas USA head coach Jose Luis Real made one change to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers at StubHub Center. Jorge Villafana came in at left back for the suspended Carlos Borja.
• CHIVAS USA (4-2-3-1): Dan Kennedy - Mario de Luna, Bobby Burling (Steve Purdy 46), Carlos Bocanegra, Jorge Villafana - Edgar Mejia, Oswaldo Minda - Eric Avila (Matthew Fondy 62), Carlos Alvarez (Carlo Chueca 78), Bryan de la Fuente - Erick Torres.

TEAM NEWS

• Chivas USA suffered their heaviest defeat of the season in the 5-1 loss at Houston. It was a little more than a year after the biggest loss in club history, a 6-2 loss at Seattle last Aug. 25.
• “For me, this is the worst game in all my games at Chivas USA,” head coach Jose Luis Real said. "But only the second half. The first half, in my opinion, Chivas did a good game."
• Said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy: “It seemed like we were a bit outnumbered. They just continued to threaten us and that just can't happen. … In this league, particularly in away matches, this is what could happen. It never feels like a 5-1 deficit. It feels like we were in that game for 65 minutes.”
• The loss also extended the Chivas USA winless streak on their travels to 11 games, since a March 24 win at the Chicago Fire.
• “Unfortunately a score like this, it’s hard for everybody, it hurts,” Real said. “The task at hand is to resolve just that; Chivas have to maintain a level, not 45, not 60, not 70, but the 90 minutes. I think defensively we had some errors, but we’re not talking about just the defense, but the entire team, when they participated defensively, we had some problems."
• Already missing Carlos Borja through suspension, the Chivas backline underwent a forced change at halftime when Bobby Burling had to come off with back spasms.
• “There was a change in the backline but I thought the guys put in a good 60 minutes with the game 1-1 at one point,” Burling said. “Houston’s a team that’s pushing for every point they can get, pushing for the playoffs, and we’re just trying to play spoiler and it was one of those nights that the last 30 minutes obviously didn’t go our way.”
• In addition, fullback Marky Delgado will be out for the remainder after he underwent season-ending surgery for a meniscus tear in his left knee.
• “I could say that as an excuse,” Real said. “It’s logical that it’s going to have an effect, there’s no doubt. We’re a team in integration, and we can’t afford to have someone from the starting lineup out, and we’re lost three players."
• Eric Avila scored his third goal of the season, his first since July 7 vs. Montreal. “Obviously it’s been up and down during the season. But a game like this we just really have to sit down with the guys and motivate them to keep it going. It hurts us for the next game but we just have to continue on and help them know that there is still hope, because we’re playing for us and the fans,” Avila said.
• Jorge Villafana made his first appearance since Aug. 11, starting the match at left back and playing the full 90 minutes.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

The San Jose Earthquakes put an end to a long winless streak on their travels, defeating Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. The Quakes are in a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference with 41 points from 30 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The game's three goals came in a span of four minutes early on. The Quakes took the lead in the 18th minute when Steven Lenhart thundered home a Cordell Cato cross with a powerful header.
• A minute later, Real pulled level when Javier Morales found himself completely unmarked at the edge of the goal area on a corner from Kyle Beckerman, and sent an easy one-time finish past Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch.
• But San Jose responded just two minutes later when Shea Salinas sent in a free kick from the left side that Lenhart got his head to, knocking it past helpless RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
• Quakes interim head coach Mark Watson made two changes to the team that reached a scoreless draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Buck Shaw Stadium. Rafael Baca came back from suspension in place of Ramiro Corrales, and Steven Lenhart started up top in place of Alan Gordon.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-2): Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour, Clarence Goodson (Jason Hernandez 71), Victor Bernardez, Jordan Stewart - Cordell Cato, Sam Cronin, Rafael Baca, Shea Salinas (Justin Morrow 74) - Steven Lenhart (Alan Gordon 90), Chris Wondolowski.

TEAM NEWS

• The Quakes have now taken seven of a possible nine points from their last three matches, ending their road winless streak at six games. Their last away win came June 22. The Earthquakes are at the .500 mark in the standings (11-11-8) for the first time since May 11.
• “It was a big win for sure,” Quakes interim head coach Mark Watson said. “Just looking at the standings and the games remaining, we knew we had to be perfect on the way in. With five games left, we know we could very possibly need all 15 points. It’s just kind of win the rest of our games.”
• Steven Lenhart scored the fifth multiple-goal game of his MLS career, netting both tallies in the win at Real Salt Lake. He was back in the starting lineup for the first time since Aug. 31.
• “I thought Steven was fantastic tonight,” Watson said. “The goals were excellent. He’s very brave, he’s a powerful guy, he attacks everything 100 percent. Two great finishes, but I thought the things he did throughout the game were good. He worked hard, he battled for everything. Lenny always gives you 100 percent. It was no different tonight.”
• After back-to-back shutouts, the Earthquakes were beaten for a goal for the first time in 221 minutes with the RSL equalizer.
• “We have been very good in the final third. We’ve got good attacking players and good wide players. You know that’s just how it goes sometimes, you don’t score goals for an extended period of time and then one game can kind of flip the switch and then they come in bunches,” Watson said. “It’s coming from things we’ve been working on a lot, our crossing and our overall play in the attacking third. The last couple games goals have been going in so we are very pleased.”
• There is an injury concern in the back four as Clarence Goodson was forced out of the RSL match after 71 minutes with a right knee injury. Goodson is listed as questionable with a bone bruise in his right knee.
• “Honestly, I think it’s more of just a mental thing, of being aware of it,” goalkeeper Jon Busch said. “We’ve done it regardless of who’s been on the field, whether it’s with [Goodson and Stewart] or without them. ... When we kind of forget the defensive side of things and just go forward with numbers, no matter who you have out there, you’re going to put yourself in bad spots. So we have to be cognizant of our defensive shape every moment of the game, because our thought process has to be. If we turn the ball over now, are we in good shape to deal with a counterattack.”
• Making his fifth consecutive start, Cordell Cato recorded his second MLS assist, both coming in the five-game run in the first XI.
• Shea Salinas set up his first goal since July 27, tying his single-season career-high with seven assists, first set last season.
• “I think when you’re not scoring goals, there’re always some questions as to why,” Salinas said. “Is it the service? Is it the runs? What is it? So we’ve worked a lot lately on quality service. Guys have [been] attacking the ball, and tonight, Lenny was just a beast in the air. [Chris Wondolowski] had a few great runs and chances as well. It worked for us all last year and it’s worked for us this season. Just because we went through a little drought, it doesn’t mean we’re going to change from crossing the ball into our guys who can attack it.”