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Chivas USA Grind Out FC Dallas Win
Chivas USA eked out a 2-0 win over visiting FC Dallas to keep its home record perfect.
Apr 26, 2009 2:25:45 AM
CARSON, Calif--Chivas USA withstood intense pressure from visiting FC Dallas to eek out a 2-0 win that keeps the team's perfect home record intact. Having played midweek in Toronto for the team's first loss, Chivas head coach Preki switched up his side's frontline, starting Justin Braun and Chukwudi Chijindu. The only change Dallas made to the team that defeated Toronto for the team's first win of 2009 was to slot Daniel Torres into the backline for George John.
A noisy 14,611 fans watched as Chivas USA continued to set the pace atop the Major League Soccer standings, keeping four points ahead of trailing Seattle Sounders FC.
First Half
The game took a while to get going, and slowly built momentum throughout the half. After a tepid start by both sides, Kenny Cooper spurned a trio of opportunities after 10 minutes. First, he pinged a ball off Dax McCarty before scooping it past Shavar Thomas and attempted to lob Zach Thornton in goal. His shot lacked the accuracy to trouble Thornton, though. Then, the towering striker connected with a well-struck McCarty free at the far post to send a sizzling header toward the top post. However, a quick reflex save by Thorton kept the scores equal. A few minutes later, Thornton played a pass to Thomas but undercooked it, allowing Cooper to intercept. This time, Cooper's lob lacked venom and Thornton easily collected.
Midway through the half there was a turning point. It started off as yet another Dallas opportunity, as the away team piled on the pressure. David Ferreira crossed from the corner, and the ball fell kindly to McCarty in the box. His half-volley was only kept out by the highest quality of save from the diving Thornton. As Chivas broke from that play, Sacha Kljestan split the defense and Chukwudi Chijindu powered onto the ball. As Chijindu attempted to round Dario Sala outside the box, the Dallas 'keeper stretched out a hand and grabbed the ball. Referee Abiodun Okulaja issued a red card and a free kick atop the box which Kljestan blasted high of substitute Ray Burse's goal.
At the half hour mark, Thornton was once again called into action. The lively Ferreira wiggled free down the right. He laid the ball off to Cooper, whose shot was deflected by Thomas to appeals for a handball and penalty. The referee waved play on, however, and the ball fell to Dave van den Bergh, who struck a sweet low drive that a fully stretched Thornton managed to keep out.
From then on, Chivas started to take advantage of its man advantage and assert itself on the game. Atiba Harris headed a free kick narrowly wide. Then, on the stroke of half, Chivas had the ball in the back of the net. An arcing Jonathan Bornstein cross eluded everyone to find Kljestan at the fart post, who buried his sidefooted shot in the back of the net. However, the referee called the goal back for a foul in the box by Justin Braun.
Second half
The teams reset for the second half, but the momentum didn't look like it had taken a break, with Chivas USA continuing to dominate proceedings. After a series of half-chances were deflected away, Braun chipped from the top of the box that nearly caught Burse out, but the 'keeper did well to recover and push the ball over the goal frame.
The teams swapped chances before the opening goal. For Chivas, Chijindu smashed a close-range shot into the side netting on the hour mark, and for Dallas, Ferreira found room in the box, but saw his sizzling shot parried by the imposing Thornton.
The goal finally came in the 68th minute. Paulo Nagamura hit a long raking ball to switch the field of play, finding an open overlapping Mariano Trujillo on the right flank. The Mexican fullback crossed into the box, and Atiba Harris rushed to the ball first to power home.
A goal and a man down, Dallas still didn't give up. A quarter hour from time, van den Bergh pinged a near post shot off the post, and 10 minutes later Ferreira beat Thornton to a ball on the edge of the box before shooting tamely wide from a narrow angle.
A minute before time, Harris was sent off. He had picked up his first yellow in the first minute, and received his second for pulling at a Dallas player's pants.
Dallas couldn't capitalize. From the free kick, substitute Alecko Eskindarian led a swift counterattack, racing down half the pitch and shrugging off a challenge before slotting home the game's second to clinch the match for Chivas USA in the first minute of injury time.
Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com
A noisy 14,611 fans watched as Chivas USA continued to set the pace atop the Major League Soccer standings, keeping four points ahead of trailing Seattle Sounders FC.
First Half
The game took a while to get going, and slowly built momentum throughout the half. After a tepid start by both sides, Kenny Cooper spurned a trio of opportunities after 10 minutes. First, he pinged a ball off Dax McCarty before scooping it past Shavar Thomas and attempted to lob Zach Thornton in goal. His shot lacked the accuracy to trouble Thornton, though. Then, the towering striker connected with a well-struck McCarty free at the far post to send a sizzling header toward the top post. However, a quick reflex save by Thorton kept the scores equal. A few minutes later, Thornton played a pass to Thomas but undercooked it, allowing Cooper to intercept. This time, Cooper's lob lacked venom and Thornton easily collected.
Midway through the half there was a turning point. It started off as yet another Dallas opportunity, as the away team piled on the pressure. David Ferreira crossed from the corner, and the ball fell kindly to McCarty in the box. His half-volley was only kept out by the highest quality of save from the diving Thornton. As Chivas broke from that play, Sacha Kljestan split the defense and Chukwudi Chijindu powered onto the ball. As Chijindu attempted to round Dario Sala outside the box, the Dallas 'keeper stretched out a hand and grabbed the ball. Referee Abiodun Okulaja issued a red card and a free kick atop the box which Kljestan blasted high of substitute Ray Burse's goal.
At the half hour mark, Thornton was once again called into action. The lively Ferreira wiggled free down the right. He laid the ball off to Cooper, whose shot was deflected by Thomas to appeals for a handball and penalty. The referee waved play on, however, and the ball fell to Dave van den Bergh, who struck a sweet low drive that a fully stretched Thornton managed to keep out.
From then on, Chivas started to take advantage of its man advantage and assert itself on the game. Atiba Harris headed a free kick narrowly wide. Then, on the stroke of half, Chivas had the ball in the back of the net. An arcing Jonathan Bornstein cross eluded everyone to find Kljestan at the fart post, who buried his sidefooted shot in the back of the net. However, the referee called the goal back for a foul in the box by Justin Braun.
Second half
The teams reset for the second half, but the momentum didn't look like it had taken a break, with Chivas USA continuing to dominate proceedings. After a series of half-chances were deflected away, Braun chipped from the top of the box that nearly caught Burse out, but the 'keeper did well to recover and push the ball over the goal frame.
The teams swapped chances before the opening goal. For Chivas, Chijindu smashed a close-range shot into the side netting on the hour mark, and for Dallas, Ferreira found room in the box, but saw his sizzling shot parried by the imposing Thornton.
The goal finally came in the 68th minute. Paulo Nagamura hit a long raking ball to switch the field of play, finding an open overlapping Mariano Trujillo on the right flank. The Mexican fullback crossed into the box, and Atiba Harris rushed to the ball first to power home.
A goal and a man down, Dallas still didn't give up. A quarter hour from time, van den Bergh pinged a near post shot off the post, and 10 minutes later Ferreira beat Thornton to a ball on the edge of the box before shooting tamely wide from a narrow angle.
A minute before time, Harris was sent off. He had picked up his first yellow in the first minute, and received his second for pulling at a Dallas player's pants.
Dallas couldn't capitalize. From the free kick, substitute Alecko Eskindarian led a swift counterattack, racing down half the pitch and shrugging off a challenge before slotting home the game's second to clinch the match for Chivas USA in the first minute of injury time.
Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com
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