Playoffs must wait as Chivas USA fall
Without three of their biggest guns, Chivas fell 3-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the final Super Clasico of the regular season at The Home Depot Center on Saturday night. Peter Vagenas, Landon Donovan and Alan Gordon scored for the Galaxy, who kept their postseason hopes alive with the win.
Chivas would have clinched a spot and maintained second place with a victory but instead will travel to Kansas City next weekend needing a result to earn a playoff spot.
Chivas started the match at a disadvantage. Ante Razov, Juan Pablo Garcia and Francisco Palencia were neither in the starting lineup nor on the bench. Palencia is out for the remainder of the regular season with a sprained knee. Garcia, meanwhile, hurt his groin at the end of last week's 1-0 win against Colorado. Razov has had a lingering groin problem as well and did not suit up.
Palencia has not played since Sept. 13 while Garcia and Razov each played a week ago. Without the potent duo, Chivas USA coach Bob Bradley turned to Jesus Morales and Jonathan Bornstein up front. Johnnie Garcia, meanwhile, earned his first start and played alongside Sacha Kljestan in the heart of Chivas' midfield. Jesse Marsch moved to the right flank.
The Galaxy had the better of the possession throughout the first half. The Galaxy had six total shots and three on goal while none of Chivas' three shots were on target. Santino Quaranta was the first to test Brad Guzan but the Chivas goalkeeper dived to his right and stopped the shot in the 19th minute.
Chivas' defense broke down 10 minutes later and the Galaxy took advantage. Chris Albright found Alan Gordon near the six-yard box. The Galaxy forward nearly let the ball get away but still was able to lay it back to Vagenas who knocked the ball into the back of the net.
Without their major offensive weapons, Chivas was left to try and beat the Galaxy over the top with long balls but too often the passes did not find their target. Bornstein and Morales were smothered by the Galaxy's airtight defense more often than not.
Chivas came close to breaking through near the end of the first half. Kljestan unloaded a 22-yard shot that appeared to hit Galaxy defender Ugo Ihemelu in the arm inside the penalty area. Nevertheless, referee Tim Weyland instead awarded Chivas a corner kick.
At the start of the second half, the Galaxy had the better of the chances as Gordon had a header that Guzan saved on the goal line and Donovan had a 20-yard shot that missed the right post by inches.
Chivas lost another starter in the 54th minute when Carlos Llamosa hit the grass after a collision with Gordon. Llamosa was taken off the field on a stretcher with an upper left thigh injury and was immediately replaced by Jason Hernandez.
Donovan scored the Galaxy's second goal in the 67th minute when he knocked in a loose ball from 16 yards out into the corner of the penalty area. Cobi Jones had raced through the Chivas defense and nearly went in alone on Guzan, but saw the ball tackled away before he could shoot. But Donovan swept it into the goal.
Chivas turned to its bench for offense, but Drew Helm and Brent Whitfield provided little punch.
With Chivas pushing forward for a goal, the Galaxy instead countered with a third as Gordon powered a header past Guzan in the 80th minute from an Albright cross from the right corner.
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
