Chivas USA went into Foxboro knowing they needed to get a victory to stay in the chase for the playoffs. They got the job done, beating the New England Revolution Saturday 3-2. But it was a very shaky victory, and had the game gone on an extra five minutes a draw would have been likely. Chivas did not control the game, and their last two goals came on counterattacks, which is a good sign to an extent as the counterattack is not a tool the Goats normally use. But the fact that they were beaten at their regular possession-oriented game so soundly is at least a little concerning.
Both teams had chances in the early going, but Chivas got on the scoresheet first, in the 31st minute when Simon Elliott sent a pinpoint cross-field pass to Nick LaBrocca, who then sent a cross into the box. Alejandro Moreno was in the area and got a leg on the ball between the defender and New England ‘keeper Matt Reis to score. It was Moreno’s first goal for Chivas since he returned from his time with the Venezuelan National Team, where they finished fourth at the Copa America. Chivas went into the break up by a goal, and added to their lead in the 59th minute when LaBrocca broke up a lazy pass in the Revs’ defense and was able to beat Reis in the box.
At that point, it looked like Chivas had put the game away, and that New England would crumble. But to their credit, they did not. The turning point came in the 64th minute when 16-year old forward Diego Fagundez made his professional debut, coming on at the same time as Chivas signing Laurent Courtois. While Courtois had a few good moments and began the play that led to Chivas’ third goal, Fagundez was the catalyst for New England. He won a penalty on a very soft touch by Heath Pearce in the box, and Shalrie Joseph scored on the PK to make it 2-1 in the 69th minute. For the rest of the match, New England thoroughly outplayed Chivas, but the Goats scored another counterattack goal in the 80th minute when Moreno pounced on another half-chance and made a nifty move past the defense for his second goal of the game. While Chivas’ fans were breathing easy at that point, New England came back yet again, when Fagundez scored his first career goal in the 86th minute to make it 3-2. Fortunately for Chivas, they were able to hang on the last few minutes, but it was rough sledding as goalkeeper Dan Kennedy came up huge yet again. It was another banner performance from Kennedy, and he truly deserves some wider recognition for his play this season.
Beyond the strong performances from Kennedy, Moreno and LaBrocca, the rest of the team played very poorly. The defense was caught on the back foot and disorganized, the midfield could not hold onto the ball, and the other striker, Justin Braun, was anonymous. It was a little lucky that Chivas were facing a weak team like New England to get away with so many mistakes. But they got the three points, which is the most important thing. The win puts the Goats back into the playoff slots, as they currently sit 10th overall, good for the last wild card spot. The job is far from accomplished, but Chivas are keeping pace. Their next game will provide a much tougher challenge, as they continue their road trip by heading to Seattle and taking on the Sounders. With Seattle sitting in third place overall, it will not be an easy game, but hopefully Chivas can prove they belong in the playoffs and get a result next weekend.
(image courtesy of Getty Images)
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