Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Chivas USA | MLS Match Preview

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs CHIVAS USA
BC PLACE, Vancouver, B.C.
Sept. 1, 2013 (WEEK 27, MLS Game #250)
4 p.m. PT (SNet Pac; KDOC/KWHY)

A hugely important match in the playoff futures for both clubs is ahead on Sunday afternoon when Vancouver Whitecaps FC play host to Chivas USA at BC Place. Whitecaps FC have fallen out of the top five and the playoff positions in the Western Conference, following their 1-0 home loss to the LA Galaxy last weekend. Chivas USA are 16 points out of the final postseason berth, but are building off a 3-2 home win vs. New York last weekend.

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REFEREE: David Gantar. AR1 (bench): Eric Proctor; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Allen Chapman
MLS Career: 20 games; FC/gm: 26.0; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 8; pens: 1

DISABLED LIST: CHV: Daniel Antunez
SUSPENDED: VAN: Nigel Reo-Coker (caution accumulation; through Sept. 1)
WARNINGS:

• SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: VAN: Russell Teibert
• SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: VAN: Jordan Harvey, Gershon Koffie | CHV: Mario de Luna, Bobby Burling, Carlos Alvarez, Gabriel Farfan, Tristan Bowen, Carlos Borja
• INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: VAN: Bryce Alderson, Ben Fisk, Caleb Clarke (Canada U-21)

HEAD-TO-HEAD

• ALL-TIME (7 meetings): Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 10 goals | Chivas USA 1 win, 4 goals | Ties 3
• AT VANCOUVER (3 meetings): Whitecaps FC 2 wins, 7 goals | Chivas USA 0 wins, 1 goal | Ties 1

2013 (MLS)

3/30: CHV 2, VAN 1 (own goal 12; Avila 55 -- Miller 64)
6/19: VAN 3, CHV 1 (Harvey 47+; Sanvezzo 49+, 81 -- Bowen 7)

• The teams are meeting for the third time this season. An own goal and a goal from Eric Avila led Chivas USA to a 2-1 victory March 30 in Carson; Camilo Sanvezzo scored twice and Jordan Harvey added a third in a 3-1 Whitecaps FC win June 19 at BC Place.
• Chivas USA have won just once all-time in the series, in seven meetings all-time. The opening goal in the March 30 encounter snapped a 316-minute scoring drought for Chivas USA vs. Whitecaps FC.
• Coaches record: Martin Rennie vs. CHV: P5 W3 L1 D1 | Jose Luis Real v VAN: P1 W0 L1 D0

LAST MEETING

• Chivas USA opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match. Collecting the ball in a seemingly harmless position well out from the box on the right, Tristan Bowen let fly with a dipping shot that sailed into the top left corner of Brad Knighton's goal.
• But Whitecaps FC were in the lead by halftime, thanks to a pair of goals in first-half stoppage time. First, Jordan Harvey got on the end of a loose ball at the edge of the area after Camilo Sanvezzo swung and missed on a Russell Teibert pass, slamming home from just inside the box.
• Moments later, Camilo fired the Whitecaps into the lead, after Teibert stripped Gabriel Farfan on the wing before finding the Brazilian. Camilo raced into the area and turned a Chivas defender before firing across goal into the bottom left corner.
• Camilo scored his second in the 81st minute to seal the win, banging home a loose ball in the area which deflected off defender Walter Vilchez before finding the netting.
• VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-3-3): Brad Knighton - Lee Young-Pyo, Johnny Leveron, Carlyle Mitchell, Jordan Harvey - Nigel Reo-Coker, Daigo Kobayashi (Jun Marques Davidson 79), Matt Watson - Russell Teibert (Erik Hurtado 89), Kenny Miller (Tommy Heinemann 90), Camilo Sanvezzo.
• CHIVAS USA (4-1-4-1): Dan Kennedy - Carlos Borja, Walter Vilchez, Mario de Luna, Gabriel Farfan - Oswaldo Minda - Tristan Bowen (Marvin Iraheta 75), Carlos Alvarez, Jose Rivera (Aaron Ponce 69), Jorge Villafana (Marky Delgado 63) - Jose Correa.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

Vancouver Whitecaps FC went down to a second consecutive shutout loss, falling 1-0 to the LA Galaxy on Saturday evening at BC Place. Whitecaps FC are in seventh place in the Western Conference with 36 points from 25 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The game's lone goal came in the third minute. Landon Donovan latched on a loose ball poked away from Robbie Keane and fired a shot into the top left side of goal from outside the area, his 131st career MLS league goal.
• Jaime Penedo was credited with five saves in the shutout, including a world-class stop in the 82nd minute, recovering after making a dive for a Kekuta Manneh shot that hit the post to spring and deny a rebound chance from Jordan Harvey.
• Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie made three changes to the team that fell 2-0 to the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Andy O'Brien came into central defense in place of Carlyle Mitchell, Matt Watson started in midfield for Daigo Kobayashi, and Darren Mattocks came in up top for Camilo Sanvezzo.
• VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-2-1-3): David Ousted - Lee Young-Pyo (Carlyle Mitchell 90), Johnny Leveron, Andy O'Brien, Jordan Harvey - Gershon Koffie, Matt Watson (Kekuta Manneh 46) - Nigel Reo-Coker - Russell Teibert, Darren Mattocks (Daigo Kobayashi 74), Kenny Miller.
• TEAM NEWS
• Whitecaps FC have been shut out in back-to-back games for the first time this season following the home loss to the LA Galaxy.
• "I thought we played well, got forward, and created a number of chances. It was just one of those nights where a goalie has made an unbelievable save | and you end up on the wrong end of a 1-nil," said Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie. " ... The fact that we didn't get a result is disappointing but I don't think anyone's head will go down from that performance and our confidence is still high so we look forward to our next home game against Chivas."
• It's also the second time in the last three matches they've been held without a goal at BC Place, after a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia on July 27.
• "We missed a couple of good chances without our top scorer playing," Rennie said. iI'm not concerned about it, we are one of the highest scoring teams in the league and I'm sure we'll get back to it starting in our next game against Chivas."
• ï    Camilo Sanvezzo did not appear for Whitecaps FC for the first time since not featuring in the season opener on March 2, held out with a groin strain.
• ï    iIn a game like that today, where it's really tight, a player like Camilo is someone who could make a difference," Rennie said. "The key thing is he's not going to be out for long because what we didn't want to do was play him today and then have him missing more games and then limping through the rest of the season. So, all being well, he'll be fully fit for the next game and we'll get him through the rest of the season from there hopefully."
• With Camilo out of the team, Darren Mattocks made his first start since May 11. He had five appearances as a substitute over the previous 15 league matches.
• "Obviously it's his first game back, so it's always tough to get back in there, match fitness and anything else," said Kenny Miller. "Obviously, with Camilo's absence, he's scored a lot of important goals for us. So that's a lot to ask from him tonight."
• Andy O'Brien returned to the Whitecaps FC lineup for the first time since June 8, coming into central defense and playing the full 90 minutes.
• Matt Watson also made his first start since July 3, coming into the midfield but coming at halftime in favor of Kekuta Manneh.
• "Generally they didn't have too many great chances," Rennie said. "They scored a fantastic goal early on, one we could have defended better. But we didn't really give up a lot of clear chances, and I think Andy probably contributed to that and helped with that."

CHIVAS USA

Chivas USA put an end to their winless run at four matches, defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at StubHub Center. Chivas USA sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with 21 points from 25 matches.

LAST MATCH

• Chivas USA opened the scoring in the 30th minute. Julio Morales collected a pass just outside the area and let fly with a left-footed strike that New York goalkeeper Luis Robles couldn't reach.
• But the Red Bulls responded immediately when Tim Cahill deposited Thierry Henry's corner kick with a header from the far corner of the six-yard box.
• Before the halftime whistle blew, Chivas regained the lead when Erick Torres was brought down in the box by New York defender Ibrahim Sekagya and converted his own penalty kick.
• Torres hit for his second and double the Chivas lead in the the 81st minute, first to a rebound in the heart of the area before lashing home a shot on the half-turn.
• The Red Bulls had one final answer when Dax McCarty headed home an Henry free kick floated into the box from the left corner, but they could get no closer.
• Chivas USA head coach Jose Luis Real made three changes to the team that fell 3-1 to FC Dallas at StubHub Center. Bobby Burling came into central defense in place of Mario de Luna, Oswaldo Minda started in place of Josue Soto, and Julio Morales came into the team for Eric Avila.
• CHIVAS USA (4-4-2): Dan Kennedy - Carlos Borja, Bobby Burling, Carlos Bocanegra, Marky Delgado - Carlos Alvarez, Edgar Mejia, Oswaldo Minda (Marvin Iraheta 84), Bryan de la Fuente - Julio Morales (Aaron Ponce 82), Erick Torres.

TEAM NEWS

• Erick Torres scored his third and fourth goals in six games since coming to Chivas USA on loan from CD Guadalajara, giving the club its second win in that time.
• "We know that the only way we were going to win against big teams, is by working as a team. We're not a team with big players; we're a team with very good players and if instead we play individually, we're going to have very little chances of winning," said Chivas USA head coach Jose Luis Real. "But working as a team, like we did today, we're going to match or be better than those big teams."
• They are the only two wins in league play for Chivas USA since March 30, when they won the last of their three games out of the opening five to start the season.
• "Chivas USA worked very hard as a team. We have to work hard. Chivas USA has gotten into games the same way," Real said. "Normally, 45 good minutes and the second half is not the same in all the games. Today, the game was complete and very good for each player."
• Julio Morales scored his first professional goal for the opener, making his second start in the last four matches.
• "We talked about it this week. That we needed to close out games and go in search for goals, be it two or three. I think the team today had that mentality, that hunger to go for more and had a good reaction after they tied us and the result was favorable," Torres said. "I felt the change to a 4-4-2 also helped me more. With Julio [Morales] there I felt a little more comfortable, more accompanied. It's about continuing to work and adapting to what the coaching staff asks of us."
• Said Morales: "I really appreciate the confidence that [Real] has in us. Yes we are very young but we also have a good attitude to do good things for us and the fans and for the club. We're going to continue that way to close out the season, whether we get to the playoffs or not, we're going to continue the same way."
• Oswaldo Minda made his first appearance since leaving the LA Galaxy match on June 23 with an injury, coming into the midfield and playing 84 minutes.
• Marvin Iraheta also made his first appearance in league match since June 29, coming on late in place of Minda.
• Bobby Burling made his first since June 1, coming into central defense in place of Mario de Luna, out of the team for just a second match this season.