Chivas Frustrated in Draw Against Vancouver

Two goals at the very beginning of the second half from Chivas USA midfielder Nick LaBrocca and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Camilo earned each team a point at the Home Depot Center on Wednesday. Although the draw is better than a loss, Chivas have to be frustrated that they couldn’t take advantage of their opportunities to grab an essential victory.

The first half was poor by both sides. Chivas dominated in possession, but did not seem comfortable in the final third and could not muster any real offensive chances. It was clear the Goats were missing several starters in this match, and defender Michael Umaña, midfielders Gerson Mayen and Francisco Mendoza and forward Chris Cortez all started in place of the regulars. Although Umaña had a steady game and Cortez was starting his first MLS match, the squad seemed to lack the understanding that had built up so far this season and Mendoza in particular lost possession of the ball all too frequently. Meanwhile, for Vancouver, there were also several new starters for a variety of reasons, but a big change was veteran goalkeeper Joe Cannon, who came up huge, particularly at the end of the match.

Following the sloppy and boring play in the first half, both teams came ready for the second half, and Nick LaBrocca provided the offensive spark Chivas needed when he scored less than a minute into the restart. It looked like Chivas really might have turned over a new leaf, but the defensive frailties that were a problem in the last match against Columbus returned immediately. Vancouver tied the score on Camilo’s wonderful curling shot two minutes later, and the play went back and forth for the rest of the match. However, in a reversal of the game against the Crew, Chivas went up a man after forward Eric Hassli was given a straight red card on a late challenge to Ben Zemanski in the 66th minute. It was the third red card for Hassli this season, and while he has scored goals for the Whitecaps his disciplinary record is a major problem, as a Designated Player cannot really contribute regularly if he cannot stay on the field.

After Hassli’s ejection, Chivas took control of possession once again but could not unlock Vancouver’s defense. Special recognition goes out to Cannon and Vancouver defender Jay DeMerit for some huge saves to deny Chivas the winning goal, especially in the last five minutes as Chivas peppered numerous shots at the goal. It is a frustrating result for Chivas, who can’t seem to keep a lead and haven’t won yet at home this season. It seems they are comfortable as scrappy underdogs, but they need to play well against evenly matched teams and inferior opposition. This will be the next task for Chivas to focus on as they continue to improve their position in the MLS pecking order. They will have another opportunity on Saturday against the Portland Timbers, and after a draw against Vancouver, a win is a must for Chivas to gain ground in the Western Conference.

(image courtesy of Juan Miranda/Chivas USA)