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Goal.commentary: Chivas USA's Scintillating Start
Chivas USA is off to an impressive start to the 2009 MLS season, dropping only four points in the opening eight games. Goal.com's Zac Lee Rigg compares that record with other teams through the league's history.
May 4, 2009 11:43:55 PM
By Zac Lee Rigg
Chivas USA has sprung out of the gates in the 2009 Major League Soccer season, collecting 19 of the first 24 points available. The Los Angeles-based club leads second-placed Seattle Sounders FC by six points, and has yet to drop points in a home game.
Such a quick start had me wondering when a team last started an MLS season so well. As it turns out, not long at all. In 2008, the Columbus Crew racked up 19 points in the first eight games as well.
In fact, since 2000, when the league instituted draws instead of shootouts, six teams have collected 19 points or better.
Two teams have managed 20 points, posting 6-0-2 records: the New England Revolution in 2005 and the Kansas City Wizards in 2000. The four teams to notch 19 points are the New York MetroStars and the Miami Fusion in 2001, the Crew in 2008 and Chivas USA in 2009.
Not counting Chivas USA this year, of the five teams, three won the Supporters' Shield (KC, Miami and Columbus) and two won the MLS Cup (KC and Columbus). The Revolution went on to finish runner up in the Supporters' Shield and lost the MLS Cup by a goal.
That double-winning Kansas City squad was led by two-time MLS MVP Preki Radosavljevic. If that name looks familiar, it should. Preki is now the head coach of Chivas USA, and the squad's excellent start can be attributed to how well-drilled and cohesive he has kept his injury-ridden squad more than to any individual play.
That KC team has another record the Goats could emulate. Goalkeeper Tony Meola posted a league-record 16 shutouts in 32 games. Chivas USA net-minder Zach Thornton has five clean sheets in eight matches, well on course to overtake Meola. If the 35-year-old continues at this rate of only conceding three goals every eight games, his goals-against average of 0.38 would handily beat the Houston Dynamo's Pat Onstad's league record of 0.82 GAA in 2007.
However, all of that is speculation, extrapolation and number-crunching. Preki will surely be making his squad look at the Crew's 2008 record in the coming week. Columbus went on to lose the next three games on the trot before bouncing back and winning the league. Kansas City collected its 10 wins in its first 12 games before evening out and finishing with only 16 wins in the season.
New York's season flattened out even more dramatically. After posting 19 points in the opening eight games, it only collected 23 points in the next 18 matches, finishing sixth out of the 12 teams in the league.
There is still plenty of time for Chivas USA to waste this start and emulate the MetroStars, settling for midtable mediocrity. A few more injuries, for instance, and Preki himself may have to suit up in a red and white jersey.
Historically and statistically, however, the numbers look promising for Preki's men.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
Chivas USA has sprung out of the gates in the 2009 Major League Soccer season, collecting 19 of the first 24 points available. The Los Angeles-based club leads second-placed Seattle Sounders FC by six points, and has yet to drop points in a home game.
Such a quick start had me wondering when a team last started an MLS season so well. As it turns out, not long at all. In 2008, the Columbus Crew racked up 19 points in the first eight games as well.
In fact, since 2000, when the league instituted draws instead of shootouts, six teams have collected 19 points or better.
Two teams have managed 20 points, posting 6-0-2 records: the New England Revolution in 2005 and the Kansas City Wizards in 2000. The four teams to notch 19 points are the New York MetroStars and the Miami Fusion in 2001, the Crew in 2008 and Chivas USA in 2009.
Not counting Chivas USA this year, of the five teams, three won the Supporters' Shield (KC, Miami and Columbus) and two won the MLS Cup (KC and Columbus). The Revolution went on to finish runner up in the Supporters' Shield and lost the MLS Cup by a goal.
That double-winning Kansas City squad was led by two-time MLS MVP Preki Radosavljevic. If that name looks familiar, it should. Preki is now the head coach of Chivas USA, and the squad's excellent start can be attributed to how well-drilled and cohesive he has kept his injury-ridden squad more than to any individual play.
That KC team has another record the Goats could emulate. Goalkeeper Tony Meola posted a league-record 16 shutouts in 32 games. Chivas USA net-minder Zach Thornton has five clean sheets in eight matches, well on course to overtake Meola. If the 35-year-old continues at this rate of only conceding three goals every eight games, his goals-against average of 0.38 would handily beat the Houston Dynamo's Pat Onstad's league record of 0.82 GAA in 2007.
However, all of that is speculation, extrapolation and number-crunching. Preki will surely be making his squad look at the Crew's 2008 record in the coming week. Columbus went on to lose the next three games on the trot before bouncing back and winning the league. Kansas City collected its 10 wins in its first 12 games before evening out and finishing with only 16 wins in the season.
New York's season flattened out even more dramatically. After posting 19 points in the opening eight games, it only collected 23 points in the next 18 matches, finishing sixth out of the 12 teams in the league.
There is still plenty of time for Chivas USA to waste this start and emulate the MetroStars, settling for midtable mediocrity. A few more injuries, for instance, and Preki himself may have to suit up in a red and white jersey.
Historically and statistically, however, the numbers look promising for Preki's men.
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
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