Chivas USA continued to build on the momentum of the past two weeks in a 0-0 draw in Vancouver on Saturday against the Whitecaps. Although a scoreless draw does not usually get pulses racing, it ended up being a pretty entertaining match, and certainly an improvement on the dull draw the previous week against Columbus. As I indicated in my preview last week, the key to this game for Chivas was to keep Vancouver’s goals to a minimum, and as the Whitecaps could not find the back of the net that plan worked. Despite a shot off the post by Vancouver forward Eric Hassli, who looked dangerous at times, and a great save by Dan Kennedy on Nizar Khalfan’s shot in the 89th minute, Chivas looked comfortable in defense. At this point, Chivas has to be happy about their defensive performance on a weekly basis, especially with captain Jimmy Conrad out indefinitely with post-concussion symptoms. The injuries on the backline are mounting, however, as defender Michael Lahoud left the game at the half with a concussion of his own. In the breach rookie Zarek Valentin played very well at right back, and may be getting used to the professional game rather well.
On the offensive end, Chivas looked better than they have since the opening game. Despite their continued inability to score goals, the Goats demonstrated an attacking intensity and were able to start both halves with a great deal of energy. They had a huge edge in corner kicks, with nine to the home team’s two, and nearly scored in the second minute off a corner. They were able to make a more aggressive effort in goal, but could not convert any chances. Still, with the work rate and energy, Chivas is bound to start getting goals sooner or later. Goals will likely be hard to come by all season for this squad, but the improved effort is promising.
Besides the continuing lack of goals, perhaps the biggest concern was that Chivas seemed to run out of steam at the end of both halves. For all their intensity at the beginning of the game and restart, they seemed to be hanging on at the end of each half. They will need to account for the full 90 minutes in future matches, especially against the class of MLS. This is a tall order, however, when there are so many injuries. After the game, it was revealed that forward Justin Braun was an unused substitute for the game with a groin problem. On the bright side, midfielder Paulo Nagamura got his first action after suffering a calf injury through the preseason and into the regular season. Nagamura is a much-needed presence in midfield who should provide some experience and stability to the team moving forward. Now that Chivas are on a three-game unbeaten streak, they need to really convert some chances and get their first win of the season, a goal that now seems more realistic as the team has been playing better of late.
(Image courtesy of Getty Images)
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