Forward Justin Braun made the most of his opportunity Sunday against New York by scoring a hat trick and leading Chivas USA to a 3-2 victory. Starting for the first time in a month, Braun was hungry and out to prove he deserves a regular slot in the lineup, and his goals were the difference in the game.
It was an open affair, and while both teams have had strong defensive records this season, all of the action was on the offensive end. Braun opened up the scoring in the fifth minute by taking a shot from the edge of the penalty box that beat New York goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul. I had a feeling Coundoul would be vulnerable, as he belongs to the erratic tradition of goalkeepers, and Braun’s shot caught him off his line. It was a classic see-saw game, as Thierry Henry evened the score at 1-1 in the 21st minute on a nifty shot that slotted past the defense and Chivas’ goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. Then Braun sent Chivas ahead a second time on a free kick opportunity. Defender Ante Jazic got on the end of Heath Pearce’s free kick and centered it to the far post for Braun to finish right in front of goal. Certainly, it has to be said that New York fell asleep on the play as anyone could have stopped Jazic’s pass if they were standing at the near post.
A few minutes later, Pearce was on the wrong end of a call, as he pushed Red Bulls forward Luke Rodgers in the back in the box and a penalty was issued. Dwayne de Rosario stepped up and scored from the spot, which was his first goal since his trade from Toronto FC. The penalty was clear, and if Rodgers might have sold it, he was well within his right as he put Pearce in a tough position.
In the second half, the 2-2 deadlock was broken by Braun yet again. Simon Elliott took a free kick in the 56th minute that Alejandro Moreno headed at Coundoul, who pushed it off the bar. The ball ricocheted directly into the path of Braun, who tapped it into the net for the winner. For the rest of the match, both teams had several chances, but nothing notable except Rodgers’ bicycle kick goal that was clearly offside. Chivas’ defense was able to hold on to New York’s pressure, and they finished off the effort, something they could not quite do last week against Real Salt Lake.
All in all, it was a fantastic result for the Goats. As the second match of a three game stretch against the top teams in the league, they could have had dropped the match and few would be surprised. But in winning in New York, they became the first team to win in the league this season after traveling three timezones from home, and they are really starting to earn some respect. They currently sit in 7th place in the Western Conference, so they still have room for improvement, but for a team who many predicted to remain firmly in the bottom of the table, they are showing they may be able to compete for a playoff place this season. Their chances will be more clear once they catch up in the games in hand to teams ahead of them in the standings. If Chivas gain points from those games, they will rocket up the table. If they don’t, they will have wasted a huge opportunity.
But first: the superclasico against the Galaxy. Following big wins from both teams this weekend it should be a good match. We’ll see if Chivas can get more points and continue their good run of form Saturday.
(image courtesy of Getty Images)
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