Chivas USA will seek to start a new winning streak on Saturday against the L.A. Galaxy (10 pm ET, ESPN2/ESPN Deportes). After their big win on the road against New York Red Bulls last week, the Goats will seek to finish up their 3 week stretch against the league’s best teams on a high. Certainly following a tough loss to Real Salt Lake and the win against New York, Chivas have the confidence that they can finally get a win against the Galaxy. They have not beaten the Galaxy since 2007, and given their impressive form recently it seems that streak could end.
Although this wouldn’t normally be an easy game, the fact that it is a derby match and both teams call the Home Depot Center well, home, will given the match added weight. As any fan will tell you, derby matches anywhere around the globe are the most unpredictable. Sometimes players feed off of the rivalry and elevate their play, while sometimes they get caught up in the excitement and it lowers the quality of the game. From the activity on Twitter and in interviews this week, it seems the Chivas’ players know this is a big game and are trying to rile up Galaxy fans and inspire Chivas fans, so they sense the importance of the match. But Coach Robin Fraser is trying to keep the team focused on playing a solid game and not get too preoccupied by the opponent.
Defense will be a priority in this game for the Goats, as they know the Galaxy are capable of racking up goals quickly. In particular, Landon Donovan’s play has catapulted him to the top of the goalscoring standings in recent weeks, and he will be the most important player for Chivas to cover. Of course, the Galaxy have plenty of other offensive options, like Juan Pablo Angel, David Beckham and Miguel Lopez, but the offense essentially runs through Donovan, so if he is stopped, the Galaxy’s attack will likely sputter. For Chivas, the plan may be to push forward and attack from the start like they did last week. When they started the game defensively against Real Salt Lake, the results were disastrous, so dictating the tempo may be the best option. I still think the defense needs to be fully focused, but maybe the best defense will be a good offense, so to speak.
Chivas have the same injuries as in weeks past. The update this week for Defender Jimmy Conrad was that there has been no progress on his post-concussion symptoms and there should be no expectation on his return at any point, as he may be out for months. Defender Michael Lahoud is likely out again as he suffered concussion-like symptoms on his return last week, so he will need to go through the post-concussion protocol once again. For the Galaxy, the only regular missing from the lineup is Defender Leonardo, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Don’t be surprised if the Galaxy rotates their lineup as they have three games in the next week and will want to make sure they have players rested for the midweek game.
For both fanbases, the SuperClasico is a big game and one they look forward to all season. For all involved, let’s hope it is an exciting and well-played match. For Chivas fans, let’s hope bragging rights return to the red-and-white faction of the city.
(image courtesy of Getty Images)
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