Sounders FC v Chivas USA (Match Preview)

September 19th Kick off 12pm

Referee: Terry Vaughn

Assistants: Hector Vergara; Darren Clark 4th: Landis Wiley

Sounders on Revenge Mission against Weakened Goats

Sounders FC may have won a trophy already this season but they have a massive point to prove yet on Saturday. For two of their six MLS defeats have been at the hands of Saturday’s opponents, Chivas USA – the Goats from Los Angeles.

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The visitors will be crippled by a host of absentees. Injuries will keep out Jim Curtin (ankle surgery), Kevin Harmse (knee tendonitis), reserve keeper Dan Kennedy (knee surgery), forward Ante Razov (ankle tendonitis), and Sasha Victorine (concussion), but Claudio Suárez (calf strain) has been removed from the list and will travel. Of their two other goalkeepers, GK Lance Parker is listed as questionable with a quad strain but first choice Zach Thornton has been listed now as probable after recovering from the same condition. Jon Conway was added to their squad before the freeze as back up.

Most troublingly for them, talisman Carey Talley, their most minuted player, is suspended having been sent off in Boston last week against the Revs.

Le Toux Tussles with Paulo Nagamura as Zach Scott Looks on in Last Year's Open Cup Tie

Seattle are injury free and Sigi Schmid will select from his more or less best players, Freddie Ljungberg returns from suspension.

Although this is Chivas USA’s first visit this season to Seattle in MLS, the club have been regular visitors to Seattle in previous season.

On July 18, 2007, the two sides met for the first time at Qwest Field. On what many remember as one of Seattle Sounders most glorious of many US Open cup nights, Sounders beat Chivas 3-1 to progress into the next round of the cup. Laurent Merlin gave Chivas an early lead that day, but two from Seb Le Toux (with Levesque providing both assists) and another from Roger Levesque sealed a memorable win for Seattle.

The teams that day were:

Seattle: Chris Eylander, Danny Jackson (Zach Scott 26), Noah Merl, Taylor Graham, Kevin Sakuda, Kenji Treschuk, Josh Gardner, Leighton O’Brien (Jake Besagno 72), Hugo Alcaraz-Cueller (Greg Howes 64), Sebastien Le Toux (Santa Maria Rivera 84), Roger Levesque

Chivas USA: Preston Burpo, Lawson Vaughn, Claudio Suarez, Jason Hernandez, Orlando Perez (John Cunliffe 59), Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan, Alex Zotinca (Rodrigo Lopez 68), Francisco Mendoza, Laurent Merlin, Maykel Galindo (Anthony Hamilton 83)

On July 1st 2008, the two sides met again in a US Open Cup tie, this time at Starfire. Seattle Sounders won the match 2-0 in front of 2997 people with current Sounders, Taylor Graham and Seb Le Toux scoring the goals.

The sides that day were:

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Taylor Graham, Zach Scott, Kevin Sakuda, Michael Rodríguez; Kenji Treschuk, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, Josh Gardner (Danny Jackson 62′), Leighton O’Brien (Nick Besagno 81’); Andre Schmid (Noah Merl 70′), Sébastien Le Toux (Youssuf Kante 89’).

Chivas USA: Brad Guzan; Jonathan Bornstein, Jim Curtin, Shavar Thomas, Dan Paladini; Jorge Flores (Anthony Hamilton 73’), Kraig Chiles (Jesse Marsch 65’), Paulo Nagamura, Sacha Klejstan (Keith Savage 83’); Justin Braun (Francisco Mendoza 60’), Atiba Harris.

Sounders Celebrate Graham's Goal

Recent Form – You Score, You Win

Sounders have won their last two matches, both victories over DC United at RFK. Before that were two draws, but one statistic that caught our eye is the defensive record since that tortuous 4-0 drubbing in San Jose. Sounders have leaked just five goals in seven games.

A look back at Chivas USA’s last eight MLS result reveals an interesting fact. The losing side has failed to score in every game. With just three wins and five losses, there has been a duck egg every tine for one side. Two derby losses to LA were part of that run, but last weekend’s events suggest that Galaxy might just be about to implode, leaving very open that lucrative second place in the Western Conference. Chivas stand the most likely to take advantage of that, followed by Colorado Rapids, but a loss to the next in the queue, Seattle Sounders, would reshuffle that pack. Colorado play San Jose twice in four days and stand ready to take full advantage themselves, the first at what is set to be an emotionally charged atmosphere at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Chivas last game was a vital 2-0 win over New England Revs in a battle between the sides with most games left, and their garnering of three points not only reversed a decline, but placed them right in the mix for that second place, and definitely strong favourites to play post season. 11, 334 saw Maicon Santos open the scoring in the 10th minute before a very late Sacha Kljestan penalty sealed the deal.

The impact of this result on the Western Conference is hard to underestimate. Seattle lead Chivas by just one point but the Goats have two games in hand. A Seattle victory would leave Chivas with plenty to do in those spare games to catch them, a Chivas win would probably put Seattle out of the running for an automatic play-off place entirely. A draw is certainly more use to Chivas with their games left than Seattle who have only one more home match after this.

WESTERN CONFERENCE TABLE

Chivas Dangermen

Goalkeeper Zach Thornton joined Chivas USA on Aug. 1, 2008, from the New York Red Bulls after the departure of England bound Brad Guzan. With over 22,000 minutes played in the MLS, he brings experience and solidity. Oddly he never actually played for the Bulls while there, and before in a stint at Colorado he played just once. Most of his games were for the Chicago Fire and he became only the second goalkeeper in MLS history to reach 100 wins on July 2, 2005 playing against his current club.

Paulo Nagamura - Nine Games without a Goal.

26-year-old Serbian winger Bojan Stepanovic may be a threat to Sounders. He joined in late March and has made seven starts and nine further appearances as a substitute.

Brazilian Paulo Nagamura scored four goals in his first eleven games this season, but hasn’t netted since in MLS. He joined from Toronto at the beginning of the 2007 season, and has also played for the Galaxy. Like Seattle’s Steve Zakuani, he played for the Arsenal FC youth set up in London. Paulo missed the first match with Seattle due to suspension.

Paulo’s place as top scorer has been taken by Eduardo Lillingston with seven goals. Eduardo has 12 years of experience in Mexican football to bring to Chivas who he joined in March 2009. Only the suspended Carey Tally has started more MLS games for Chivas.

Maykel Galindo is a former Seattle Sounder who joined Chivas USA on Feb. 8, 2007, from the then USL club. He had played there in 2005 and 2006.

Shavar Thomas has started 16 games for Chivas this season. The Jamaican plays dominoes with friends in his free time. Let’s see how friendly compatriot Tyrone Marshall is to him.

Jonathan Bornstein has started twenty games for Chivas and has played every minute each time.  A California native, he  joined Chivas USA as a fourth-round pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft out of UCLA. His first season for the Red-and-White was impressive, as he started every match for the team, scored six goals and added four assists, and was named MLS Rookie of the Year. He made his debut with the U.S. National Team on January 20, 2007, scoring a goal in the match against Denmark, and has made 20 international appearances as of Sept. 1, 2009. Jonathan is known for his charity work, including the Michael Hoefflin Foundation, which raises money for children and families affected by cancer; the Wednesday’s Child Program, which helps increase adoptions of foster children; and the Passback Program, which donates soccer equipment to teams and players in need all over the world.

Alecko Eskandarian has jumped ship to the Galaxy as of July 1st, and the physical Atiba Harris has been vital in rejuvenating FC Dallas’s season.

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The View from Chivas