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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Chivas</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:27:24 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:27:24 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
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				<title><![CDATA[Chivas USA parts ways with coach Preki]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[CARSON, Calif.(AP) -- Chivas USA and Preki are parting ways two
years after he was chosen Major League Soccer's coach of the
year.

The club said Thursday that Preki will pursue other
opportunities. His contract expires at year's end.

Preki Radosavljevic became Chivas USA's fourth coach in January
2007, replacing Bob Bradley, whom he had been an assistant to
during the 2006 season. Preki had a career record of 49-29-21
and his winning percentage of .561 was the best in club history.

Chivas USA made the playoffs in each of Preki's three seasons in
charge, and he was the longest-serving coach in team history.
Preki was a two-time MVP in MLS.

The Red and White lost to the rival Los Angeles Galaxy in the
two-game Western Conference playoffs this season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133285-Chivas-USA-parts-ways-with-coach-Preki</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133285-Chivas-USA-parts-ways-with-coach-Preki</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:17:53 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Donovan's record-tying goal puts Galaxy in conference finals]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH D'HIPPOLITO
STATS MLS Correspondent

CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - Landon Donovan used his right leg to
tie a Major League Soccer playoff record and vault the Los
Angeles Galaxy into its first conference final in four years.

Donovan scored on a penalty kick in the 73rd minute to give the
Galaxy a 1-0 victory over Chivas USA, and a 3-2 win on aggregate
goals in the Western Conference semifinals Sunday night.

The Galaxy will host the Houston Dynamo in Friday night's
conference final - their first since they won the MLS Cup in
2005. Los Angeles then missed the playoffs for three successive
years.

"It's huge for our franchise," Donovan said of the win, while
mentioning head coach Bruce Arena and two long-time Galaxy
fixtures, forward Alan Gordon and former player Cobi Jones, now
an assistant coach.

"You could see it in Bruce's face," Donovan said. "Myself,
Gordo, Cobi, we understand what this all means. But that's not
good enough for us. We're not satisfied.  Now, we have a big
opportunity to do something special."

Donovan's goal was the 16th of his career in postseason play,
tying Carlos Ruiz's MLS record.

"We had plenty of opportunities to be on top," said Chivas USA
coach Preki, whose team took six shots in the first half. "There
were a lot of moments where we had two against the goalkeeper or
two against one and don't even take a shot.

"The Galaxy made one play and won the game."

Donovan's penalty kick came after Chivas USA's Yamith Cuesta
fouled the Galaxy's Mike Magee by wrapping his right leg around
Magee's groin in the 70th minute.

On the penalty shot, Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton dove to
his left. Donovan sent the ball through the area Thornton
vacated.

"My thought, actually, was to go to that side," Donovan said of
Thornton's dive to the left. "But I saw him step the other way
and then start leaning."

David Beckham began the play that resulted in the penalty by
crossing the ball from the right flank to Donovan near the left
corner. Donovan then passed to Magee, who was on the right side
of the penalty area.

Beckham left the game limping in the 78th minute and had his
midsection wrapped with tape on the bench.

"I got a knee in my back that went into spasm, and I thought
that I twisted my ankle," Beckham said. "I'm sure it'll be fine.
We'll see how it is tomorrow."

Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made two saves, both in the
first half. His biggest stop came in the 32nd minute, when he
dove to his right to deflect Justin Braun's 34-yard shot with
both hands.

The Galaxy defense held Chivas to three shots in the second
half, none of them on goal.

Chivas USA failed to advance past the opening round for the
fourth consecutive season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132452-Donovans-record-tying-goal-puts-Galaxy-in-conference-finals</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132452-Donovans-record-tying-goal-puts-Galaxy-in-conference-finals</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:02:32 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Chivas USA-Galaxy Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Chivas USA (13-11-6) at Los Angeles (12-6-12), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The venue will be the same, but the Los Angeles Galaxy believe
things will look a lot different this Sunday at the Home Depot
Center.

The Galaxy and Chivas USA will play the second leg of their
Western Conference semifinal series after a sloppy draw last
weekend.

This is the first time there has been a playoff edition of the
SuperClasico between these Home Depot Center co-tenants. Chivas
USA was the "home" team last weekend as the teams finished tied
at 2.

"We just start over," Galaxy star Landon Donovan said. "This
game means nothing, no away-goals rule. We like our odds, we
like our chances and we're going to go for it."

A fresh start could be what both teams need after turning in
some poor play last Sunday. Donovan and Mike Magee both scored
for Los Angeles on goals that were a direct results of misplays
by Chivas.

Chivas also scored the final goal of the match in the 46th
minute when an ill-advised back pass from Galaxy defender Omar
Gonzalez went right to Chivas forward Maykel Galindo, who was
able to easily beat Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

"It's entertaining for the public, it's not so entertaining for
the managers and the players when mistakes happen and you don't
play as well as you can," David Beckham said. "But that's life."

Los Angeles could be facing a distraction since the club
announced earlier in the week that Beckham will be headed to
Italy to play for AC Milan on loan again. The England midfielder
played for Milan for six months in the first half of the year,
missing some action for the Galaxy.

"I'm committed to LA Galaxy and MLS in the long term and remain
as passionate as ever about growing the game of soccer in
America," Beckham said. "I'm completely focused on ending this
season on a high note with my club by winning the MLS Cup."

The Galaxy are looking forward to seeing more of their gold and
blue on Sunday in the stands after seeing plenty of Chivas' red
and white last weekend among the 25,218 fans.

"We're going to have all the fans in our favor instead of
theirs," Magee said. "You can probably double the anticipation.
It was a two-game series, now it's one."

Chivas failed to score in three regular-season matches against
its archrival, and is excited about getting two goals in the
first leg. Maicon Santos scored the first goal of last week's
match.

"It's pretty typical of a Clasico," Chivas defender Carey Talley
said. "Who knows what's going to happen, and both teams are
fighting incredibly hard and have great fan support on both
sides."

Chivas has lost three times and drawn four in its last seven
matches against the Galaxy since Sept. 13, 2007. Los Angeles is
unbeaten in its last five MLS Cup matches.

The winner will meet Houston or Seattle in the conference
championship.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132106-Chivas-USA-Galaxy-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/132106-Chivas-USA-Galaxy-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:50:09 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Chivas rallies to tie Galaxy 2-2 in playoff opener]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH D'HIPPOLITO
STATS MLS Correspondent

CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - Maykel Galindo punctuated his recovery
from a chronic hernia injury by scoring perhaps his most
important goal in three years with Chivas USA.

Galindo scored in the 50th minute as Chivas USA rallied for a
2-all tie with the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first game of their
Western Conference semifinal series Sunday.

The winner of the second and final game next Sunday will advance
to the conference final. If the clubs teams tie again, they will
play 30 minutes of overtime - to be followed by penalty kicks if
necessary.

"It was never going to be an easy game," Galaxy midfielder David
Beckham said. "But we start both halves poorly and we get
punished."

The Galaxy held a 2-1 lead when Galindo, who entered the game in
the 46th minute, pounced on a pass from Galaxy rookie Omar
Gonzalez intended for goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, and scored
from 15 yards into an open net.

"That's the real Galindo," Chivas coach Preki said. "We
encourage him every day in training to show that he still has
it. I know he still has it and I know he has more in him. Now is
the time for him to bring it on."

When asked what his goal meant personally, Galindo exhaled and
said, "for me, it means a lot, more than anything because of
what happened the past year, watching this team play and not
being able to play. As a forward, I feed on goals."

Galindo, who defected from Cuba in 2005, led Chivas USA with 12
goals as a rookie in 2007. Since then, Galindo scored a total of
five goals in MLS play, while being hampered by two hernia
operations in two years.

"I don't feel 100 percent but I feel 95, 96 percent," Galindo
said. "I've had to work hard after the injury and, thank God,
the symptoms are much better and I feel much more confident in
myself."

Maicon Santos put Chivas ahead 1-0 in the fourth minute with a
diagonal 19-yard shot inside the right post, but Mike Magee and
Landon Donovan responded with goals that gave the Galaxy a 2-1
halftime lead.

Magee exploited a defensive mistake to score in the 14th minute.
Donovan's header fell to Chivas USA's Yamith Cuesta, who
misplayed the ball off his right foot. Magee secured the ball
and converted from nine yards.

Another mistake helped Donovan put the Galaxy ahead in the 41st
minute. Santos sent Paulo Nagamura's clearance back to Chivas
USA's penalty area. The ball fell between defender Carey Talley
and Donovan, who scored on a soft 5-yard shot inside the right
post.

"We gave up two goals that were amateur, at best," Chivas
defender Ante Jazic said. "I haven't seen two goals like that,
where we just pretty much put the ball in the net ourselves, in
a game in a long time."

Ricketts made two big saves in a 3-minute span of the second
half. He leaped to his left to deflect Nagamura's 23-yard line
drive in the 57th minute, then blocked Santos' 3-yard shot at
the left post with his feet in the 60th minute.

The Galaxy extended its unbeaten streak against Chivas USA to
seven games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130710-Chivas-rallies-to-tie-Galaxy-2-2-in-playoff-opener</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130710-Chivas-rallies-to-tie-Galaxy-2-2-in-playoff-opener</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:30:14 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Chivas rallies to tie Galaxy 2-2 in playoff opener]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[CARSON, Calif.(AP) -- Maykel Galindo scored in the 50th minute and
Chivas USA rallied to tie the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-2 on Sunday
in the first game of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Maicon Santos scored early for Chivas, and Mike Magee and Landon
Donovan tallied to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead at halftime.

The winner of the second game between the clubs next Sunday will
advance to the conference final. If the teams tie again, they
will play a 30-minute overtime - to be followed by penalty
kicks, if necessary.

Galindo, who entered the game in the 46th minute, pounced on a
pass from Galaxy rookie Omar Gonzalez intended for goalkeeper
Donovan Ricketts, and scored from 15 yards into an open net.

Santos put Chivas USA ahead 1-0 in the fourth minute with a
diagonal 19-yard shot inside the right post. But Magee and
Donovan responded with goals that gave the Galaxy a 2-1 halftime
lead.

Magee exploited a defensive mistake to score in the 14th minute.
Donovan's header fell to Chivas USA's Yamith Cuesta, who
misplayed the ball off his right foot. Magee secured the ball
and converted from nine yards.

Another miscue helped Donovan put the Galaxy ahead in the 41st
minute. Santos sent Paulo Nagamura's clearance back to Chivas
USA's penalty area. The ball fell between defender Carey Talley
and Donovan, who scored on a soft 5-yard shot inside the right
post.

Ricketts made two big saves in a 3-minute span of the second
half. He leapt to his left to deflect Nagamura's 23-yard line
drive in the 57th minute, then blocked Santos' 3-yard shot at
the left post with his feet in the 60th minute.

The Galaxy extended its unbeaten streak against Chivas USA to
seven games.

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130707-Chivas-rallies-to-tie-Galaxy-2-2-in-playoff-opener</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130707-Chivas-rallies-to-tie-Galaxy-2-2-in-playoff-opener</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:21:48 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Galaxy-Chivas USA Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Los Angeles (12-6-12) at Chivas USA (13-11-6), 5:00 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Galaxy are making their 11th playoff appearance
in franchise history, while Chivas USA has reached the
postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

The intracity rivals, however, will face each other for the
first time outside of the regular season in Sunday's first leg
of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Galaxy return to the playoffs for the first time since
winning their second MLS Cup in 2005, with David Beckham making
his postseason debut after his signing in 2007. It is the first
time Los Angeles has been the West's top seed since 2002.

"This season is a season to be proud of so far, but we can't
afford to get off the pace," he said after the Galaxy clinched
first place with a 2-0 victory over San Jose on Oct. 24. "We
need to continue, and we want trophies."

Los Angeles (12-6-12) beat out a crowded field to finish atop
the West as goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts concluded his first
regular season with the Galaxy in stellar fashion.

Ricketts enters Sunday's game with a 301-minute scoreless streak
dating back to a 2-0 loss Sept. 26 at Supporters' Shield-winning
and defending MLS Cup champion Columbus. Los Angeles regrouped
with a pair of home victories sandwiched around a scoreless at
Houston, giving the Galaxy the tiebreaker for the conference's
No. 1 seed.

Ricketts has posted seven of his nine shutouts since Aug. 19 -
four in the team's last five home games. One of those home
victories was a 1-0 blanking of Chivas on Aug. 29.

The Jamaican 'keeper did not allow a goal to Chivas this season
as the Galaxy were 2-0-1 against their archrivals and co-tenants
of the Home Depot Center.

"In the postseason, the biggest part is defense and that's been
our strength all year," defender Todd Dunivant said. "If we can
keep that going, we'll be a tough team to beat."

Chivas (13-11-6), meanwhile, reached the playoffs despite going
winless over its final three matches, including last week's 3-2
loss to visiting Houston that dropped it to fourth in the West.

"We definitely didn't achieve our goals. The Western Conference
championship would have been the first goal we'd set out for,"
defender Jonathan Bornstein said. "Even with five games left to
go, if we... would have beaten New York and San Jose, we would
have done it but we tied both games. We had so many chances."

Chivas scored two goals for the fourth time in five games, but
it is also the first MLS team to fail to net three or more in a
game in a season. Its 34 goals are second-fewest among the eight
playoff teams.

"As long as we're creating chances, I think we'll score goals,"
coach Preki Radosavljevic said. "We keep going and we keep
fighting and we keep playing the way we want to play. Hopefully,
one of these days, this group will be rewarded."

Chivas goalkeeper Zach Thornton finished with a league-best 0.87
goals-against average and 12 shutouts, but he enters the
postseason having given up six goals in the last three contests.

Chivas has never been to the conference finals in franchise
history and lost 3-2 on aggregate to Real Salt Lake in last
year's two-legged first-round playoff.

The Galaxy have advanced past the first round in nine of their
11 postseason trips.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130335-Galaxy-Chivas-USA-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130335-Galaxy-Chivas-USA-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:49:22 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Dynamo beats Chivas to finish second in West]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LUIS BUENO
STATS MLS Writer

CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - The Houston Dynamo closed the regular
season with a big win but didn't get rewarded for it.

Houston scored two goals in a three-minute span midway through
the first half Sunday, then held off Chivas USA 3-2 to finish
second in the Western Conference.

The Dynamo (13-8-9) have 48 points along with Los Angeles, which
held the tiebreaker over Houston for the top spot in the
conference. The Dynamo will play the expansion Seattle Sounders
FC in the first round, with the first leg likely to be played
Thursday in Seattle.

Andrew Hainault, Dominic Oduro and Abe Thompson scored for
Houston, which improved to 6-1-5 against Chivas in the regular
season.

The Dynamo's playoff scenario, however, did not please coach
Dominic Kinnear, who said his team would have to deal with
fatigue and travel concerns ahead of the playoff opener.

"I'm not worried about their fitness, I'm worried about how many
games they've played," Kinnear said. "Now we're playing on
Thursday and the league didn't take into account that we played
in CONCACAF on Wednesday. It's unfair."

Houston, which played a CONCACAF Champions League match in El
Salvador on Wednesday, will stay in Southern California until
Tuesday before heading north to Seattle.

Chivas USA (13-11-6) dropped to fourth in the West with 45
points and will play archrival Los Angeles at The Home Depot
Center in the postseason for the first time. Chivas will be the
home team for the first match Nov. 1, with the Galaxy hosting
the return leg Nov. 8.

For Chivas, though, its playoff position is far from ideal.

"We definitely didn't achieve our goals. The Western Conference
championship would have been the first goal we'd set out for,"
defender Jonathan Bornstein said. "Even with five games left to
go, if we... would have beaten New York and San Jose, we would
have done it but we tied both games and we had so many chances
and we don't put away goals."

Failing to capitalize on its chances hurt Chivas again Sunday.
The club had three shots in the first 22 minutes but two of the
attempts - by Justin Braun and Maicon Santos - went right to
Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

Instead, it was Hainault who opened the scoring for Houston in
the 26th minute after Ryan Cochrane headed a corner kick to the
front of the net.

Three minutes later, Brad Davis slipped a ball in the middle of
the field as Oduro raced into the penalty area unmarked. He beat
Zach Thornton from 15 yards to make it 2-0.

"We got the goal and it kind of gave us some confidence and a
boost of energy," Kinnear said. "We get a second goal and the
confidence grows from there."

Thompson padded the lead in the 52nd minute before Chivas
answered in the 59th, when rookie Michael Lahoud scored his
first MLS goal.

Chivas got within a goal on Eduardo Lillingston's penalty kick
in the 88th minute but could not find an equalizer down the
stretch.

Chivas USA coach Preki Radosavljevic said his team was
unfortunate not to walk away with something from Sunday's match.

"The way we played, the way we fought, our energy, hopefully
they will get rewarded because there was only one team on the
field who played soccer, there was only one team on the field
who had chances and that team lost," he said. "Quite a few times
the game can be cruel. We are not putting our head down."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128932-Dynamo-beats-Chivas-to-finish-second-in-West</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128932-Dynamo-beats-Chivas-to-finish-second-in-West</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:09:26 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Dynamo-Chivas USA Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Houston (12-8-9) at Chivas USA (13-10-6), 3:00 p.m. EDT

CD Chivas USA and the Houston Dynamo wasted key chances to gain
an edge in the Western Conference title race. As a result,
instead of competing for that championship Sunday, the
conference rivals will battle for playoff seeding as they
conclude the regular season.

A win for either Chivas USA (13-10-6) or the Dynamo (12-8-9) on
Sunday would give that club 48 points - matching first-place Los
Angeles - but the Galaxy hold both tiebreakers and secured the
conference title with Saturday's 2-0 win over San Jose.

While Los Angeles clinched home-field advantage throughout the
West playoffs, Seattle beat Dallas 2-1 on Saturday to move two
points ahead of Chivas and Houston for second place. A tie
Sunday would give the third seed via tiebreaker to the Dynamo,
who beat Chivas 1-0 on June 10. That scenario would pit Chivas
against Los Angeles and Houston versus the Sounders in the
two-legged opening round of the playoffs.

"It's going to be a battle," defender Carey Talley told Chivas
USA's official Web site. "We've played against them in
preseason, and once earlier this year. Any time we play these
guys, it's a fight. But we're ready for it."

One week ago, Chivas appeared to be in prime position to win the
West, holding a game in hand on Houston and Los Angeles amid a
three-way tie for first.

Chivas, however, suffered a major letdown in tying the
last-place Earthquakes 2-all Oct. 17, while the Dynamo and
Galaxy played to a scoreless draw the following day. The club
then squandered its extra game Thursday, losing 1-0 at Chicago
on an own goal by forward Eduardo Lillingston to set up the
Galaxy's West-clinching victory Saturday.

"We need to take care of business and we haven't," Chivas coach
Preki said. "We lost that chance, but hopefully we regain our
form on Sunday and put ourselves in a good spot to get
home-field advantage, at least in the first round."

Chivas' defeat Thursday also gave Columbus its second
consecutive Supporters' Shield, awarded to the team with the
best regular-season record.

Houston is mired in a 1-2-4 stretch that has seen it fall out of
contention for a second consecutive West crown.

The Dynamo will have to endure another one-game suspension to
Brian Ching, the team leader with eight goals. The forward was
issued a red card for an altercation with David Beckham last
Sunday - the fifth consecutive game Houston had a player sent
off, with Ching accounting for two of those ejections.

"It's not because it is Brian Ching," Houston coach Dominic
Kinnear said. "It's because it is a player who plays, who is an
important player. And if you look at the guys who have been
red-carded, they are all important players. They are guys that
play significant and important minutes for us. And (last week),
it's not just about the six minutes that he missed. It's 90
(against Chivas USA). We've talked about it, but I can't put an
ear piece in their ear and tell them to just walk away from
situations."

Houston is also coming off Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Isidro
Metapan of El Salvador, which eliminated the Dynamo from the
CONCACAF Champions League.

The Dynamo could use a strong performance from midfielder Stuart
Holden, who is second to Ching on the club with a career-high
six goals, but hasn't found the back of the net in his last
seven league games.

Holden scored the lone goal against Chivas USA in June, giving
Houston a 4-1-5 advantage in the all-time series. Although, the
Dynamo are 0-1-3 at the Home Depot Center.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128803-Dynamo-Chivas-USA-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128803-Dynamo-Chivas-USA-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:23:14 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Fire beat Chivas USA 1-0 to clinch playoff spot]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (STATS) - Solving a leaky defense may be what
the Chicago Fire needed to return to the playoffs. A fortuitous
goal also helped.

The Fire clinched their fifth consecutive playoff appearance in
their season finale Thursday night, getting an own goal to beat
CD Chivas USA 1-0 at a rainy Toyota Park.

Heading into their finale, the Fire (11-7-12) were mired in an
0-4-2 stretch that saw them allow seven goals while getting shut
out three times.

A renewed focus on defense helped boost Chicago while Chivas'
Eduardo Lillingston did the Fire's scoring after they were
blanked in the last two games.

In the 68th minute, Lillingston headed Cuauhtemoc Blanco's
corner kick - Chicago's 14th of the game - past goalkeeper Zach
Thornton as the Fire went on to clinch the Eastern Conference's
second seed.

"It took us 30 games to get to this point, but we're finally in
the playoffs," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "When we start to
limit (an opponent's) opportunities on goal, that's when we
become a very dangerous team. To be able to win championships,
you have to have a good defensive mindset.

"It takes an own goal, but we'll take it."

The Fire's playoff opponent is unknown as six teams are vying
for the final two berths heading into the final weekend of the
regular season.

"We're in the playoffs. That's all that matters," Hamlett said
when asked who he'd prefer to face in the postseason. "There are
so many different teams, so I can't sit here and tell you who."

Chicago has been without its entire starting backline from its
season opener. Wilman Conde (illness and hamstring) has missed
the last two games, while Gonzalo Segares (knee) and Tim Ward
(foot) have been out for over two months. All-Star Bakary
Soumare was sold to France's US Boulogne in August.

Losing those four has moved defenders C.J. Brown, Dasan Robinson
and Brandon Prideaux into starting roles, while midfielder Mike
Banner has replaced Segares at left back.

"The team has focused as a team to get around the ball," Brown
said. "Our back four has been pretty organized. I think the
stretch before these last two games has been a meltdown. We just
weren't on the right page."

Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch made two saves to get his 10th shutout
and tie his career high set with Columbus in 2004.

Chivas' loss also allowed the defending MLS Cup champion Crew to
clinch the Supporters' Shield for having the best regular-season
record.

"I thought 0-0 was probably a fair result," Chivas coach Preki
said. "Maybe they had a little bit more opportunities than us. I
thought both teams would settle for a draw because it's a rainy
night and a heavy field. Not really good conditions for a game."

Chivas has already clinched a playoff berth and is tied with
Houston and Los Angeles atop the West while Seattle is one point
back in fourth place.

Chivas (13-10-6) hosts the Dynamo on Sunday, a day after the
Galaxy faces San Jose and the expansion Sounders meet Dallas.

"We need to take care of business and we haven't," Preki said.
"We lost that chance, but hopefully we regain our form on Sunday
and put ourselves in a good spot to get home-field advantage, at
least in the first round."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128276-Fire-beat-Chivas-USA-1-0-to-clinch-playoff-spot</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128276-Fire-beat-Chivas-USA-1-0-to-clinch-playoff-spot</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:16:46 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Chivas USA-Fire Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Chivas USA (13-9-6) at Chicago (10-7-12), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The MLS playoff picture may be muddled heading into the final
weekend, but the Chicago Fire can book their fifth consecutive
trip to the postseason by winning, tying or waiting. Honoring
former captain Chris Armas could help them gain some
inspiration.

The Fire will try to solve CD Chivas USA's stingy defensive play
Thursday night when the teams meet at Toyota Park.

Chicago (10-7-12) needs a win or a tie to gain a berth in the
MLS Cup playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. A
loss Thursday would put the club in danger of missing the
postseason for only the second time in its history, as six other
clubs are also vying for the final three playoff spots.

The Fire could have clinched a trip to the playoffs with a win
Saturday, but played to a scoreless tie at New England - one of
the other teams still alive in the race. That draw is part of an
0-2-4 stretch that turned Chicago from Supporters' Shield
contender into potential playoff absentee.

"These games are never easy," coach Denis Hamlett said. "There's
a lot of pressure on both teams trying to get in the playoffs,
and it makes for good games."

A ceremony honoring Armas' storied career could help Hamlett's
team gain a mental edge.

The midfielder will be inducted into the team's Ring of Fire,
joining former teammates Peter Nowak, Lubos Kubik and Frank
Klopas, coach Bob Bradley and general manager Peter Wilt. Only
Klopas is still with the organization as technical director.

Armas helped the Fire win the 1998 MLS Cup, four U.S. Open Cup
titles and the 2003 Supporters' Shield, while ranking second in
franchise history in assists (42) and third in games played
(214). He also had two goals in 66 games with the U.S. national
team.

The Fire could also get a boost from having Cuauhtemoc Blanco
back in the lineup. The playmaker played 22 minutes as a
substitute against the Revolution after helping Mexico qualify
for next summer's World Cup earlier in the week.

Blanco has five goals and a team-leading eight assists, but has
managed just one of each over his last seven games. He hit the
back of the net twice in a 3-2 win over Chivas USA (13-9-6) on
May 28.

The Fire are 4-4-1 all-time against Chivas, splitting four home
meetings.

Chivas USA has already clinched a playoff spot, and is tied with
Houston and Los Angeles for first in the West while holding a
game in hand. The club has also played one less contest than
league-leading Columbus, which it trails by four points in the
race for the Shield.

Chivas hosts the Dynamo on Sunday to conclude the regular
season.

Chivas USA failed to gain sole possession of the conference lead
Saturday, but extended its unbeaten streak to six games (3-0-3)
by tying last-place San Jose 2-all at home.

The club is riding strong defensive play anchored by goalkeeper
Zach Thornton, a possible contender for league MVP and
Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

Thornton, a member of the Fire from 1998-2006, is 12-7-6 and
leads MLS with a 0.78 goals-against average and 12 shutouts -
both career bests.

Chivas has had to rely on the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Thornton since
it hasn't managed to score more than two goals in any game this
season.

The club will also be without defensive midfielder Jess Marsch,
who played in Chicago from 1998-2005, after he was injured in
practice earlier this week.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128056-Chivas-USA-Fire-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128056-Chivas-USA-Fire-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:09:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Chivas takes over first place in West with draw]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LUIS BUENO
STATS MLS Writer

CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - Chivas USA is atop the West for now,
but some recent poor play against inferior teams may not keep
them there for long.

Chivas USA moved into sole possession of the conference, tying
the San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 on Saturday night on Justin Braun's
goal in the 66th minute.

Chivas (13-9-6) has 45 points, one more than playoff-bound Los
Angeles, Houston and expansion Seattle. The Galaxy and Dynamo
will meet Sunday in Houston.

However, Chivas coach Preki Radosavljevic said the point earned
against the 'Quakes may not be enough to propel to the team to
its second conference title in three seasons.

"There are no easy games, even the teams that are out of the
playoffs," he said. "For whatever reason, the game against New
York and the game against San Jose (Saturday) might haunt us in
the standings."

Chivas failed to beat the last-place teams in each conference at
home in recent weeks. Preki's club tied East bottom-dwellers New
York 1-1 at the Home Depot Center on Sept. 26.

Meanwhile, San Jose has continued its strong road play. The
Earthquakes (7-13-9) are 1-0-3 in their last four games away
from home.

"It's a good point for us. We well deserved a point," San Jose
coach Frank Yallop said. "It's good to come to a place like this
where its difficult to get a result and score two goals away
from home is very good.

"It's shown the growth in our team - we went to DC and won, went
to Toronto and got a result, went to Colorado and tied so were
getting some good results on the road."

Chivas opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Sacha Kljestan
lobbed a ball over San Jose's defense, which had pushed up
toward the middle of the field. Maykel Galindo ran into the
penalty area and fired a 12-yard shot past goalkeeper Andrew
Weber for his fourth goal.

San Jose tied it in the 21st minute. Shea Salinas crossed the
ball from the right toward the far post and Brandon McDonald
beat Zach Thornton for his first goal.

Preki said Chivas didn't show much patience in the first half.

"We're trying to push the tempo a little bit but ... we went for
the kill way too many times in the first half instead of making
sure the ball is moving, that we are moving, being a little bit
patient in front of the box," he said. "When you do that,
opportunities will come."

San Jose took the lead in the 58th minute. Chris Leitch sent a
free kick from the right side of the field toward the 6-yard
box, and Ryan Johnson's header sailed high over Thornton's
reach.

The goal was Johnson's fourth in his last seven games and 11th
overall.

Weber stopped Braun late and Maicon Santos in the final 20
minutes to help preserve the draw.

"Towards the end they pushed numbers forward," said Weber, who
made his second career start. "They were just coming, coming and
coming. We managed it pretty well."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127226-Chivas-takes-over-first-place-in-West-with-draw</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127226-Chivas-takes-over-first-place-in-West-with-draw</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:59:56 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Earthquakes-Chivas USA Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

San Jose (7-13-8) at Chivas USA (13-9-5), 10:30 p.m. EDT

CD Chivas USA has already clinched a playoff spot, but it still
has much to play for in the final week of the season.

Coming off its second straight shutout victory, Chivas tries to
run its unbeaten streak to six matches as it hosts the lowly San
Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.

Chivas (13-9-5) clinched a fourth straight playoff berth with a
2-0 win over Kansas City last Saturday and can still claim the
top spot in the Western Conference.

Thanks to a 3-0-2 mark since the beginning of September, Chivas
(44 points) is in a three-way tie with Los Angeles and Houston
for first place in the West. Chivas, though, has a game in hand
on both as it plays twice next week to conclude the regular
season.. The Dynamo and Galaxy face each other Sunday.

"The most important one is this weekend coming up against San
Jose," forward Sacha Kljestan told MLS' official Web site. "To
move to 47 points, and I think that Galaxy and Houston play each
other, pending that result, maybe we're in first by ourselves
and we kind of put a little separation going into the final hard
week with two games in three days to finish the season."

Looking at the bigger picture, Chivas remains in the mix with
Columbus to win the Supporters' Shield for the team with the
highest point total in MLS. The Crew, who have 49 points, can
clinch it with a win over D.C. United on Saturday and a Chivas
loss to San Jose.

"It's big - it shows that over a season you're the best team in
the league," Kljestan said. "Columbus may have it wrapped up
pretty soon depending on how they do, but I think if we can
finish the season strong, we might have a good chance."

Team MVP last year, Kljestan has scored all five of his goals in
the last eight matches. The All-Star midfielder and Justin Braun
each scored against Kansas City last weekend.

Goalkeeper Zach Thornton continued his stellar season by
recording his league-leading 12th shutout.

Chivas has grown accustomed to shutting out San Jose of late.
Since the Earthquakes returned to MLS last season, Chivas has
outscored San Jose 3-0 while going 3-0-1.

Braun has scored in each of Chivas' last two matches against the
Earthquakes, including a 1-0 victory at San Jose on  May 2.

Chivas has a good chance to extend that unbeaten streak against
the Earthquakes (7-13-8), who are last in the West and a
conference-worst 1-8-4 on the road.

The Earthquakes, however, won't roll over down the stretch.
Despite missing three straight games with a knee sprain, Cornell
Glen scored in injury time to help San Jose tie Toronto FC 1-all
last Saturday.

"We're not going to give up, we're not in the playoff race
anymore but this group of guys are still going to work hard for
the result," goalkeeper Joe Cannon said of the Earthquakes, who
are 2-1-3 since September.

Despite's Glen effort last weekend, the forward is expected to
miss this contest with the knee injury.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126864-Earthquakes-Chivas-USA-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126864-Earthquakes-Chivas-USA-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:58:35 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Chivas clinches playoff berth]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JOSEPH D'HIPPOLITO
STATS MLS Correspondent

CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - Neither injuries nor a poor start could
keep Chivas USA from clinching a playoff berth and taking a
share of first place in Major League Soccer's Western
Conference.

Justin Braun and Sacha Kljestan scored in a 3-minute span late
in the second half to lead Chivas USA to a 2-0 victory over the
Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night.

Chivas USA (13-9-5), which has 44 points and qualified for the
postseason for the fourth straight year, moved into a three-way
for first place in the Western Conference with Houston and Los
Angeles. Chivas has one match in hand on both the Dynamo and
Galaxy, and has three matches remaining.

Goalkeeper Zach Thornton made two saves for his MLS-leading 12th
shutout and moved within one of the single-season club record
set by Brad Guzan in 2007.

"I don't think we were sharp in the first half," said Chivas USA
coach Preki, who was without eight players due to injury. "We
were slow and sluggish.

"We tried to warn the guys all week that this is not going to be
an easy game. But we could tell from the first moments that we
really were not up for it."

Chivas used more defensive pressure to take control in the
second half.

"The second half was a way better performance for us," Preki
said. "When we pressed them in their half (of the field), we
pressed them with a lot more commitment. Our starting point with
the ball was already closer to the goal."

Interim Wizards coach Peter Vermes agreed Chivas improved its
play in the second half.

"I would say for 65 minutes, we were pretty good," Vermes said.
"But physically, from a fitness perspective, we died out in the
65th minute and they started taking a lot of the play."

Braun, out most of the season with a concussion, scored his
first goal since May 2 in the 71st minute.

Kljestan began the sequence with a 32-yard free kick that
goalkeeper Kevin Hartman deflected across his body with his
right hand.

Yamith Cuesta recovered the ball on the right side of the
penalty area and passed to Braun, who scored from four yards.

Kljestan added his fifth goal in the 74th minute. Eduardo
Lillingston secured Mariano Trujillo's long ball along the right
flank and crossed to Kljestan, who dribbled past three defenders
before converting from seven yards.

"We let Sacha skate right into the 18 (-yard penalty area) and
pull the trigger," Hartman said. "At this point, with our season
on the line, you'd expect everybody to be flying in and do
whatever they can to make sure they extend that hope, that dream
of making the playoffs."

The Wizards (8-12-8) had their best chance to score in the 57th
minute, but Claudio Lopez's 30-yard shot hit the crossbar.

Chivas USA's Claudio Suarez made his first MLS start this season
and played the first 45 minutes. Suarez played in just nine
games in all competitions due to a strained right calf.

The Wizards' Jimmy Conrad and Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein,
both defenders, represented the United States in a World Cup
qualifier in Honduras.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/125845-Chivas-clinches-playoff-berth</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/125845-Chivas-clinches-playoff-berth</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:59:58 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Wizards-Chivas USA Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Kansas City (8-11-8) at Chivas USA (12-9-5), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Chivas USA could be in position to secure its fourth consecutive
playoff appearance Saturday night, but the club appears to have
bigger things in mind.

Chivas looks to move closer to its first Supporters' Shield when
it hosts a Kansas City Wizards team that could be eliminated
from postseason contention.

Chivas USA (12-9-5) will know before it takes the field Saturday
if a playoff spot is at stake.

The team is tied with idle Seattle for fifth in MLS, five points
ahead of the ninth-place tie between D.C. and FC Dallas and six
in front of Toronto FC in 10th. Chivas has two games in hand on
United and Dallas - both idle Saturday - while also holding both
head-to-head tiebreakers, so a tie against the Wizards (8-11-8)
would be enough to outdistance them.

Chivas has also played one less game than Toronto, which hosts
San Jose earlier Saturday. A loss or tie by Toronto would give
Chivas a chance to clinch a postseason berth that night.

Chivas USA improved its chances by winning 2-0 at D.C. last
Saturday. That victory is part of a 2-0-2 stretch that has given
the club confidence that it can make a run for the Supporters'
Shield, awarded to the team with the most points in the regular
season.

"We want to bring some silverware and make some history,"
midfielder Michael Lahoud told the team's official Web site. "We
want to bring a first championship to the team. Our first goal
is to come in first place overall in the league. Then we'll
tackle the playoffs."

To reach the top spot in MLS, Chivas will have to overcome a
five-point gap on Eastern Conference-leading Columbus, which
visits New England on Saturday.

"The goal now is to win the rest of the games and get first in
the league," forward Justin Braun said.

Chivas has outscored opponents 5-1 over its last four games
behind the resurgence of Sacha Kljestan.

The midfielder has four goals in the last seven games after
failing to find the back of the net in his first 14 matches of
the season, including a 1-all tie with the Wizards on May 23.

Chivas is 2-0-2 all-time against Kansas City at The Home Depot
Center.

The Wizards are in danger of missing the playoffs for the third
time in five years.

They're six points back of the eighth-place Revolution, so a
Kansas City loss coupled with New England tying or beating the
Crew would eliminate it from contention.

The Wizards are 3-1-2 in their last six after an 0-5-2 stretch.
They tied Houston 1-all on Sunday despite playing 73 minutes
with a man advantage.

"It was a playoff game for us and it was a must-win," coach
Peter Vermes told the Wizards' official Web site.
"Mathematically we are still alive, but we lost a huge
opportunity."

Kansas City will have to endure the absence of defender Jimmy
Conrad, while Chivas is without defender Jonathan Bornstein.
Both players are with the U.S. national team for its final two
World Cup qualifiers at Honduras on Saturday and against Costa
Rica four days later.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/125432-Wizards-Chivas-USA-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/125432-Wizards-Chivas-USA-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:55:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[United's own goal keeps Chivas ahead in wild-card race]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By KEVIN HILGERS
STATS MLS Correspondent

WASHINGTON (STATS) - RFK Stadium has long been a fortress for
D.C. United, but lately opponents have been picking apart the
home team.

Chivas USA used United's first-half own goal to stay ahead in
the wild-card playoff race with a 2-0 win Saturday night.

It was the third straight home defeat for United, who saw their
postseason hopes dim.

Maicon Santos set up the decisive strike in the 33rd minute,
when Chivas (12-9-5) preyed on a miscue by United goalkeeper
Milos Kocic - making just his third career start. Jesus Padilla
added to the lead in the 53rd minute.

Chivas moved into a tie with Seattle for the first of four
wild-card spots with four matches remaining

"We came here to win," Santos said. "We worked all week to get a
win here in D.C., and we got it."

Chivas controlled the pace of the match from the start, and
United (8-8-12) managed just two shots on Zach Thornton, who
tallied his 11th shutout of the season.

United, playing before a season-high 24,175, stumbled into a
deficit they could never erase.

Sacha Kljestan lobbed a ball into the box to Santos, who tangled
loose from several United defenders and fired a shot from 15
yards. It ricocheted off the nearside goalpost, and when Kocic
tried to make a play, it bounced off his back.

When Kocic turned around, the ball had trickled across the goal
line.

"I thought from the first moment we were ready to play," Chivas
coach Preki said. "We were seeing the game from the bench that
it was just a matter of time before we could break them down and
score the goal. Once we scored one goal, we knew were going to
get more chances."

Taking command early was the difference for Chivas.

"I think it went exactly how we wanted it to go," Carey Talley
said. "We planned on coming in here, getting three points,
pushing the tempo the whole time. I think from Minute 1 we were
on top of them."

After winning their first 11 games at RFK Stadium this season,
United (8-8-12) have dropped their last three, including a 2-1
loss to lowly San Jose on Sunday.

Making the defeat to the Earthquakes more damaging, goalkeeper
Josh Wicks suffered season-ending shoulder and knee injuries in
that contest, elevating Kocic to the starting spot.

United now trail New England by two points for the final playoff
spot with two matches left.

"Our playoff hopes are slim now," coach Tom Soehn said. "We dug
ourselves in a major hole. Now we're looking at everybody else,
but in the end we have to look at ourselves and find a way to
dig ourselves out again."

With United struggling to assemble an attack, the crowd briefly
chanted "Fire Soehn."

Frustrations were apparent on the field, too.

Ben Olsen received a red card in the 66th minute after a tussle
with Chivas' Yamith Cuesta.

Cuesta earned a yellow card for shoving Olsen as he brought the
ball across the midfield. Olsen responded by kicking the ball
off the shoulder of Cuestra, who fell into a writhing heap as
Olsen was sent off the field.

"Frustration. It's pretty simple," Olsen said. "I was frustrated
and I lost my head for a second."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124299-Uniteds-own-goal-keeps-Chivas-ahead-in-wild-card-race</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/124299-Uniteds-own-goal-keeps-Chivas-ahead-in-wild-card-race</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:07:41 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Chivas USA-United Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Chivas USA (11-9-5) at D.C. (8-7-12), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Chivas USA is desperately trying to hold on to a wild-card spot.
It certainly didn't handle having a lead very well against D.C.
United in May.

Chivas, trying to at least keep pace in the race for the final
postseason berth, looks to avenge a poor second-half showing
against United and hand them their third straight home defeat
Saturday night.

With the regular season winding down, Chivas (11-9-5) and D.C.
(8-7-12) will likely need strong finishes to make the playoffs.

A 1-all draw with New York last Saturday night left Chivas in a
tie for fourth in the Western Conference and sixth overall with
38 points. The top two teams from each conference make the
postseason, and the clubs with the four next highest point
totals receive wild-card berths.

"First thing is to make the playoffs, that's the main
objective," Chivas coach Preki said. "Obviously if we can climb
the ladder we would all love that. ... For now, we have to
regroup and refocus and go to D.C., where it's going to be
really, a tough game."

D.C., though, has lost two straight at home, falling 2-1 to
last-place San Jose on Sunday to drop out of the league's top
eight. With three games remaining, United trail New England by
one point for the final playoff spot.

"We put ourselves in a bad spot by slipping two home games,"
coach Tom Soehn told United's official Web site. "We let
ourselves down and we have to find a way out of it."

In their last matchup with Chivas, United came back with an
outstanding effort after falling behind. They scored two goals
in the last 13 minutes to escape with a 2-all tie on the road
May 16.

Goalkeeper Louis Crayton started that game for D.C., but his
contract expired June 30 and he was not re-signed. Josh Wicks,
who replaced Crayton as the starter, will be out four to six
weeks with a dislocated shoulder and a sprained knee suffered
against the Earthquakes.

That leaves D.C. with one active goalkeeper, Milos Kocic. The
team said it will call up an MLS pool goalkeeper prior to
Saturday's match.

D.C. has allowed two goals in each of its last two games at RFK
Stadium after going unbeaten in its first 11 there (6-0-5).

Chivas has been held to one goal or none in four of its last
five games, going 1-2-2. Sacha Kljestan missed a penalty kick in
second-half injury time against the Red Bulls after finding the
back of the net in the 64th minute.

Kljestan is tied with Paulo Nagamura for second on the team with
four goals. Eduardo Lillingston tops Chivas with seven goals but
hasn't scored since a 2-0 win over New York on Aug. 15.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/123952-Chivas-USA-United-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/123952-Chivas-USA-United-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:49:39 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Chivas settles for 1-all draw with Red Bulls]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LUIS BUENO
STATS MLS Writer

CARSON, Calif. (STATS) - Sacha Kljestan missed a penalty kick in
second-half injury time, and Chivas USA settled for a 1-all draw
with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.

Chivas (11-9-5) was awarded the penalty kick when Red Bulls
defender Andrew Boyens was whistled for a handball in the box by
referee Alex Prus. With goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul diving the
wrong way, though, Klejstan sent a low shot from the 12-yard
spot barely wide of the left post.

"We had multiple chances and obviously we didn't put the game
away," Kljestan said. "I have the chance on the PK in the last
minute, obviously it doesn't go in so I'm disappointed I didn't
help the team win."

The draw left Chivas in a tie with Seattle for fourth in the
Western Conference and sixth overall with 38 points. The top two
teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs and the teams
with the four next highest point totals are awarded wild-card
berths.

"(I am) very disappointed with the result because this almost
feels like a loss for us," Chivas coach Preki Radosavljevic
said.

New York (4-17-6), meanwhile, ran its MLS-record, regular-season
road winless streak to 25 matches (0-18-7) since a 2-1 victory
at the Home Depot Center over Los Angeles on May 10, 2008.

"It would be nice to finally get a win on the road but they're
tough to get but I thought the guys did a great job," New York
interim coach Richie Williams said. "It's not easy coming here
and playing Chivas."

Chivas controlled the game from the onset as New York failed to
create any offensive chances. Still, Chivas did not break down
the Red Bulls until the 64th minute, when Kljestan beat Coundoul
with a 25-yard shot with some help from Seth Stammler.

"I got a ball in the midfield, I beat the first guy and I just
tried to put the ball on target," Kljestan said. "Luckily it
took a deflection and went in."

The shot deflected off Stammler and past Coundoul, but the hosts
were not as fortunate shortly afterward as Maicon Santos hit the
crossbar nine minutes later as Chivas continued to pressure New
York's goal.

The Red Bulls tied the match in the 84th minute, when Sinisa
Ubiparipovic sent a well-placed cross into the penalty area to a
wide-open Angel in front of the goal. Angel calmly placed a
header into the back of the net, easily beating Chivas
goalkeeper Zach Thornton.

The goal was Angel's 10th of the season and a franchise-record
46th in all competitions.

"We showed that we are a better side than we have been through
the year these last four or five games," said Angel, who missed
New York's last two games with an ankle injury. "Still, there's
a lot of work to be done but we're working on it."

In stoppage time, Kljestan stepped to the spot with a chance to
give his team three points. Coundoul dove to his left, but the
ball went the other way. However, when he looked up, the ball
had gone past the post and the match remained tied.

"Justice was served," said Coundoul, who finished with six
saves. "We got a result here, go celebrate and get ready for the
next game."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122676-Chivas-settles-for-1-all-draw-with-Red-Bulls</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122676-Chivas-settles-for-1-all-draw-with-Red-Bulls</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:53:35 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Red Bulls-Chivas USA Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

New York (4-17-5) at Chivas USA (11-9-4), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Chivas USA is looking to earn victories as it tries to secure
its fourth consecutive postseason berth.

Facing a New York Red Bulls club that hasn't won on the road in
nearly a year and a half could help the team's playoff push.

Chivas looks for its third consecutive shutout victory at The
Home Depot Center on Saturday night when it hosts the Red Bulls,
who have played better since interim coach Richie Williams took
over last month.

Chivas USA (11-9-4) played to a scoreless draw at Seattle last
Saturday and kept pace with the Sounders, who are a point ahead
of Chivas for the fourth spot in the Western Conference.

Despite midfielder Marcelo Saragosa getting sent off in the 71st
minute with a red card, Zach Thornton earned his league-leading
10th shutout by making six saves. He moved ahead of San Jose's
Joe Cannon for second all-time with 68 clean sheets.

"We've started to play well defensively, and we were fortunate
to keep them off the board," said Thornton, who leads MLS with a
0.78 goals-against average.

Thornton made two saves in a 2-0 victory at New York on Aug. 15.
It was his first game against the Red Bulls since Chivas
acquired him from New York on Aug. 1, 2008.

If Thornton's right quadriceps injury keeps him out Saturday,
Jon Conway could start for Chivas against his former team.

Chivas acquired Conway from New York on Sept. 11 for a
fourth-round pick in 2011. Conway, the Red Bulls' all-time
leader with a 1.36 GAA, made his Chivas debut Wednesday in a 2-0
loss to Chivas de Guadalajara in a friendly at the Rose Bowl.

"We didn't have quite enough guys to play one team in the first
half and one team in the second half," Chivas USA coach Preki
said. "Apart from that, we got to see some of the new guys."

Chivas, though, lost midfielder Bojan Stepanovic, who was
carried off the field with a knee injury.

"His kneecap slid to the side," Preki said. "It didn't look
really good. Hopefully, he recovers fast and we'll have him
soon."

The Red Bulls (4-17-5) open a stretch of three straight road
games with leading goal scorer Juan Pablo Angel expected to be
in the lineup after missing the last two contests with a
sprained right ankle.

Angel, who has nine goals, missed the previous matchup with
Chivas USA with a concussion. He needs one score to move past
Clint Mathis (45) for most goals in all competitions in
franchise history.

Starting in place of Angel, John Wolyniec scored the equalizer
in the 69th minute as the Red Bulls closed out a 2-2-1 stretch
at home with a 1-all draw against New England on Sept. 18.
Wolyniec, though, sprained his left ankle on the play and is not
expected to be on the field Saturday when New York tries for its
first road win since May 2008.

The Red Bulls are riding an MLS-record 24-game winless streak
away from home (0-18-6) since a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles.
They've been outscored 47-11 during this stretch.

New York, however, is 2-1-1 since Williams took over for Juan
Carlos Osorio on Aug. 21.

"I think we're more organized, the guys have a good idea of what
they need to be doing," Williams told the Red Bulls' official
Web site. "We have got four games left and we're going to try
and get three points from all the games."

Chivas USA defeated New England and Toronto FC by 2-0 margins in
its last two matches at The Home Depot Center. The club has
allowed a league-low eight goals at home.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122199-Red-Bulls-Chivas-USA-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122199-Red-Bulls-Chivas-USA-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:40:33 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Chivas USA 0, Sounders 0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MARK MOSCHETTI
STATS MLS Correspondent

SEATTLE (STATS) - All year, Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton
has had the Seattle Sounders' number.

It's zero.

Thornton made six saves - four of the point-blank variety - and
shut out the Sounders for the third straight time, helping
Chivas to a scoreless tie on the road Saturday afternoon.

"They're very tough to play against, especially here," said
Thornton, whose save total exceeded the five he made in the
previous two games combined against Seattle. "We've started to
play well defensively, and we were fortunate to keep them off
the board. They have five or six guys who are all good with the
ball, and they all know what to do going forward.

"They're a handful."

Both teams earned a point to keep them in the playoff mix.
Seattle is 9-6-11 with 38 points, while Chivas stayed one point
behind at 11-9-4.

The Sounders went scoreless at home for the fourth straight
game. Seattle has gone 404 minutes since its last home goal in a
2-1 victory against Houston on July 11.

"We had three or four great chances to score, and their
goalkeeper made some amazing saves," midfielder Freddie
Ljungberg said. "A lot of teams are coming here just to defend.
When we create chances, we have to put them away. But they
defended well, and that's all they were here to do."

Thornton beat the Sounders 2-0 and 1-0 earlier this season
despite Seattle outshooting Chivas in each of those games. On
Saturday, he had to work for this clean sheet as the Sounders
outshot Chivas 12-4.

In the 15th minute, Thornton got his hand on a shot by Sebastien
Le Toux from the top of the 6-yard box to deflect it wide of the
far post. About five minutes after halftime, a header from the
top of the 6-yard box by Steve Zakuani was on its way in until
Thornton slapped it away.

Then in the 83rd minute, Fredy Montero had a one-on-one try
against Thornton from the top left corner of the 6-yard box and
Thornton came out and blocked the shot. Finally, he denied Nate
Jaqua in front of the net during second-half stoppage time.

Thornton also got some help from an offside flag in the 68th
minute after Zakuani threaded a perfect pass across the box to
Montero for an easy tap-in that never made it onto the
scoreboard.

"It was one of those games where you go, 'If we get one, we
probably get three,'" Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "They got
back and got behind the ball and Zach had a good game for them.
In the first half, we didn't go at their outside backs enough.
But in the second half, once we went at their outside backs
more, we created some more opportunities.

"For some reason at home right now, maybe there's some
cellophane around the goal."

Kasey Keller had his ninth shutout of the season for the
Sounders. He had to make one save on four shots.

Chivas finished the game with 10 men after Marcelo Saragosa was
sent off late in the 71st minute for putting his cleats into the
face of Montero as both went for a ball.

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120860-Chivas-USA-0-Sounders-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120860-Chivas-USA-0-Sounders-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:34:48 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Chivas USA-Sounders Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

Chivas USA (11-9-3) at Seattle (9-6-10), 3:00 p.m. EDT

Although Chivas USA is in the thick of the postseason hunt,
Preki isn't thrilled with the way his team is playing.

Chivas looks to come out focused and win its second in a row
Saturday when it visits the Seattle Sounders, who return home
after a successful trip east.

Chivas was outscored 5-0 in losing its previous two games, but
Maicon Santos scored 10 minutes in and Chivas went on to a 2-0
victory over New England on Sunday. The win was the third in 10
league games for Chivas (11-9-3), moving it within four points
of Western Conference-leading Houston.

"Every game now is like a final for us," said Santos, who scored
his first MLS goal since signing with Chivas on Aug. 21. "You
can't lose. You can't play bad. You must keep playing hard every
game."

Preki, though, doesn't see that focus from his team on a daily
basis, and the coach is worried that mental errors could leave
it out of the race for the MLS Cup.

"I'm very concerned," Preki told the team's official Web site.
"We've shown a little lack of discipline on the field and if we
don't clean up our act in the key parts of the year, we might be
having a difficult time. Hopefully, we can learn from our
mistakes and become a little more disciplined as a team."

While Chivas controlled the ball for much of the game and
outshot the Revolution 18-2, the issues Preki mentioned surfaced
late in the match. Defender Carey Talley, the team leader in
starts and minutes, was ejected in the 69th minute for violent
conduct.

With Talley serving a one-game suspension, this is the second
game in a row that Chivas will be down a player. Maykel Galindo
was out against New England after receiving a red card in the
previous match.

That makes another strong performance from goalkeeper Zach
Thornton all the more critical.

The 12-year veteran lowered his league-leading goals-against
average to 0.82 with his ninth shutout of the season last
weekend. Thornton has been instrumental in Chivas' wins over the
expansion Sounders, recording shutouts in the first two
meetings.

Seattle (9-6-10) is also in the mix for a playoff spot and has
some momentum after a pair of big wins.

After beating D.C. United 2-1 in the U.S. Open Cup on Sept. 2,
Seattle won the rematch last Saturday by the same score. The
Sounders became the first team to win a league game at RFK
Stadium since Chivas won there Oct. 4, 2008.

"It's definitely fantastic," said Seattle's James Riley, who
assisted on the winning goal. "To come here and win two games in
10 days is definitely something that we'll take."

With the score tied at 1, Riley lobbed the ball just inside the
box to Fredy Montero, who hooked a shot into the top right
corner of the net in the 84th minute for his team-leading 11th
goal.

Montero and the Sounders are looking to win back-to-back league
games for the first time since June 28 and July 11. They head
back out on the road for three of their final four contests.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120608-Chivas-USA-Sounders-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120608-Chivas-USA-Sounders-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:59:08 GMT</pubDate>
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