Chivas USA Shuts Out Chicago

CARSON, Calif. -- Chivas USA moved into a tie with the Houston Dynamo for second place in the Western Conference after defeating the visiting Chicago Fire 2-0 at the Home Depot Center on Thursday night.

Both tallies for the home side came in the first half, as Sacha Kljestan’s 26^th minute strike and Justin Braun’s strike just six minutes later was all the Goats needed.

Ante Razov, who started for his second consecutive game after returning from a calf sprain, assisted on both goals.

“Obviously, a very good result for us, and I thought for the most part of the game we were pretty good,” said Preki, whose team won for the first time in three games. “First 10-12 minutes I thought we weren't sharp in the beginning, we gave up a chance or two but also we had a chance or two as well. After that I thought we were pretty decent, we were pretty good with the ball, we were moving the ball pretty good, we created some chances and I just thought we were going to score. Once we scored, the second came."

Chivas earned all three points despite playing the entire second half without holding midfielder Paulo Nagamura, who was ejected in stoppage time at the end of the first half after picking up his second yellow card of the match for making a hard foul on Chad Barrett. Preki’s side was then able to hold off a Fire attack which at one point featured four strikers playing in front of Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

Chicago has now lost three straight matches, as well as four out of five games after starting off so well earlier this season under new head coach Denis Hamlett.

“We've been going through a little bit of adversity,” said Fire striker Chad Barrett, who missed two huge chances in front of the goal in the first half. “I think it's just kind of new to us; this season we haven't faced it yet, and now we're starting to struggle, so we have to see what we're made of."

Hamlett acknowledged the missed opportunities in an otherwise evenly-played first half when discussing the team’s current run of form.

“As a whole, it's just a team,” he said. “The team is not playing well and we know that, and we're going to have this week to fix things and get ready for a very important game on Saturday at home.”

Chicago hosts San Jose at Toyota Park on June 28.

The match drew 24,143 people, due mostly to Blanco, as several fans in attendance wore the yellow and blue colors of his former side, Club America, and the Mexican National Team.

-- Goal.com USA