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Chivas settles for 1-all draw with Red Bulls

Sep 27, 2009 - 5:53 AM 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."