With summer ending and September starting, Chivas USA have found themselves on the road for the first two games of the new month. First up was a trip to Vancouver to take on the Whitecaps followed by another trip north to face more Western Conference opposition in the Seattle Sounders. Whilst every fixture in MLS is an uphill battle for the Goats, they were coming off the back of a shock 3-2 defeat of the New York Red Bulls and confidence amongst the team, and the fans, was arguably at a season high.
In true Chivas USA fashion though, the two following two results left fans disappointed, optimistic and divided in equal measure. The performances were there for everyone to see, but what seems to always split opinion is whether or not the eventual results should be deemed satisfactory considering our situation or simply not good enough.
In Vancouver Chivas got off to a blistering start and found themselves 2-0 up within the first 14 minutes courtesy of Erick “Cubo” Torres and his aerial ability. With the victory over the Red Bulls still fresh in the memory it seemed as though Chivas USA were on track for two wins in a row. However, a rare error of judgment from Captain Kennedy and a typical stoppage time goal from our opponents left fans bewildered at how we let a two goal lead slip from our grasp.
So after leading 2-0 but leaving with just one point, how should fans digest the result? On paper a point on the road for this team is a good result. Chivas USA’s overall record in this league will tell you that as well. Nevertheless, blowing a 2 goal lead after an impressive win over RBNY will of course disappoint those who felt our defensive problems were once again exposed. It is a tough one to call. The Goats are currently playing for pride so perhaps crawling back from a 2-0 deficit would have been one to cheer for not the opposite way around.
On to Seattle and a similar debate was going on after the final whistle. Despite falling 1-0 to the Sounders in another so-so performance there was always room for positives. Seattle were of course in a much better run of form than Chivas and facing one of the top teams in the West was always going to be a challenge. But there are only a few ways of putting a good spin on it.
Chivas USA are essentially winding down their season destined for a last place finish. Unfortunately the phrase “playing for pride” has to be used again for every fixture and this is why September has been disappointing so far. As always the fans are in good spirits when it comes to having a good time at a home game, but overall it feels like another year of craving the start of next season prematurely. So if “playing for pride” is getting a bit boring, hopefully the brilliance of Dan Kennedy and Cubo can keep us entertained through the Fall.
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