Repeating a comfortable refrain, Chivas USA will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak this week when they host the New England Revolution (Saturday 10:30 PM eastern time). After breaking through and gaining a victory last week at San Jose following three consecutive draws, Chivas look to be connecting as a unit and improving in all areas of the field. Dan Kennedy has established himself as the number one choice at goalkeeper, and has been making key saves in big moments. The defense, which has been beset by injuries, has shuffled the lineup without sacrificing quality, and Heath Pearce in particular has provided a steady presence in the back. The biggest issue in the first few games, the lack of creative spark in midfield and up top, has been alleviated for at least the moment, and possibly for the season. It seems the catalyst for the offense has been keeping up energy and pressure in the opponent’s half, and the Goats have gone from anemic to decent as a result.
In facing the Revolution, the dominant storyline entering the match will be Benny Feilhaber. After Chivas passed on Feilhaber, the Revs picked him up, and he slotted in nicely last week against Sporting Kansas City, providing an assist and goading an opponent into a red card. Obviously, if Feilhaber scores or sets up a goal, it will make Chivas’ management look foolish all over again, at least in the short term. But with the Goats’ momentum the past several weeks, I think they will ignore the Feilhaber saga and attempt to control the game themselves, just as they have been doing the past four weeks. New England has a better record than Chivas, sitting on nine points to Chivas’ six, but the Revs have been quite inconsistent from week to week. They lost to Real Salt Lake’s reserves, tied the league’s expansion teams, and beat the high-scoring Sporting Kansas City. While they have bolstered their attack with Feilhaber, new signing Rajko Lekic, and captain Shalrie Joseph has provided a much-needed attacking threat this season, New England is a team that is still trying to figure themselves out. In many respects, they are in a similar, if somewhat more advanced, position to Chivas. Perhaps most significantly, this will be the last game for Chivas to pick up a result heading into a brutal 3-week stretch where they will face Real Salt Lake in Utah, New York Red Bulls in New Jersey, and the Galaxy at ‘home,’ although they share the Home Depot Center and the crowd will definitely be mixed. Although coaches are always wary of looking ahead, another win or draw against New England will certainly bolster Chivas’ confidence before facing the class of the league.
Coach Robin Fraser noted after Justin Braun’s successful substitute stint last week that he is more effective playing as a central striker rather than on the wing, so expect Braun to start up top alongside Alejandro Moreno in a 4-4-2 formation. The club is dealing with a number of ongoing injuries, including defenders Jimmy Conrad and Michael Lahoud, who are still recovering from concussions, and midfielder Paulo Nagamura, who suffered a setback in his calf injury. All three are officially listed as questionable, but don’t expect to see them Saturday. Meanwhile, forward Tristan Bowen is out with an ankle problem, while midfielder Blair Gavin is still out with a hamstring issue. For New England, midfielder Pat Phelan will probably not feature after suffering a concussion, while goalkeeper Matt Reis is listed as questionable with a shoulder problem. Above all, expect a high-energy competitive match from these teams.
(image courtesy of Getty Images)
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