Chivas USA could not manage to gain any points when they hosted FC Dallas on Saturday, as a defensive lapse led to a late 2-1 scoreline in favor of Dallas. The winning goal came from a mix-up in the back in the 85th minute, as Michael Lahoud let a ball in the box pass by him because he did not think there was a threat in the vicinity. However, Jackson Gonsalves pounced on the available ball and slotted home the winner to give Dallas the road victory. Chivas escaped a bigger deficit from several of the visitors’ shots hitting the post earlier in the match, so a win seems just for Dallas. But before Jackson’s goal, it seemed Chivas had managed to claw their way to a point.
Both sides played with a great deal of energy, and Chivas seemed to control possession for the majority of the match. Unfortunately, possession does not equal goals. As I had indicated in my preview, I thought one of the keys to the game for Chivas would be to contain Brek Shea, but that assignment was easier said than done. It was clear in person that Shea was the best player on the team, and while I don’t want to exaggerate his talent level, he is big, fast, and seems to have that elusive game-breaking quality. He demonstrated that in this match, as he ran onto a long-range pass from Andrew Jacobson and hit a shot past Dan Kennedy to open up the scoring in the 22nd minute. Although it wasn’t completely against the run of play, it did seem like Chivas was in control to that point, so the Goats had to be disappointed with the breakaway.
In the second half, each team had a variety of chances, but no more goals until the 71st minute, when after a series of corner kicks for Chivas, Lahoud sent a speculative shot from far outside the box that deflected on its way through to the net. Coming from that spot and from Lahoud, it was quite the surprise, as it was only his second career goal, but that is what happens sometimes in this sport. Although it seemed like Lahoud would be the hero in getting a point, his mistake in allowing Jackson to pounce in the box for the winner means he bears much of the responsibility for the loss.
In the end, perhaps Chivas did not deserve to win. As I said, despite their possession, Dallas seemed to have the best chances and were unlucky to hit the post several times in the match. Although the result seemed to go to the better team, I do think Chivas coach Robin Fraser made a costly tactical mistake as he took Marcos Mondaini off for Chris Cortez in the 70th minute. Perhaps Mondaini took a knock or some small injury, but I could not see any problem, and in the 15 minutes or so leading up to his substitution, he was the offensive spark for Chivas and appeared to be the conduit for any goals. Although he did not end up needing to be on the field to facilitate Lahoud’s goal, I think he would have been invaluable in pushing for a second goal, either before or after Jackson’s goal. And although I don’t want to pile on Cortez, as I know he is young and is just getting started in this league, he really hasn’t shown much so far, and so Mondaini’s departure from the field turned out to be a double blow for Chivas.
Despite the disappointment, Chivas need to focus on the next match, coming against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday in PPL Park. Chivas have played better on the road this season so they may take some strength from that, and Philadelphia has stumbled a bit recently. Another week, another opportunity for the Goats.
(image courtesy of Juan Miranda/Chivas USA)
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