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Chivas USA-Real Salt Lake Preview

Aug 25, 2009 - 6:33 PM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Chivas USA (10-7-3) at Real Salt Lake (7-9-6), 9:00 p.m. EDT

Chivas USA has followed a five-game losing streak with a pair of wins, moving it closer to securing one of the Western Conference's two guaranteed playoff spots.

Taking sole possession of second place, however, could prove to be much more difficult.

Chivas looks for its third consecutive victory Wednesday night when it visits Rio Tinto Stadium, where Real Salt Lake has been among the most dominant home clubs in MLS.

Chivas (10-7-3) opened the season 8-2-3 and appeared to be the team to beat in the West, but a midseason slump had it looking vulnerable.

Coach Preki's squad was outscored 10-1 during a five-match losing skid from June 10-Aug. 8, but Chivas has bounced back. Maykel Galindo and Eduardo Lillingston scored in a 2-0 win at New York on Aug. 15 and Sacha Kljestan notched his first two goals of the season in a 2-0 victory over Toronto on Saturday.

"I feel good, but I'm not satisfied yet. We have a long way to go," said Kljestan, who led Chivas with six goals last season. "I hope to get on a good streak here with not only myself but with the team as well. Two wins in a row is good for us so we hope to build on this."

Chivas is tied with Seattle for third place in the West with 33 points, and a victory over Real Salt Lake (7-9-6) would vault it past Los Angeles into second. Chivas has at least three games in hand on the three teams tied or ahead of it in the standings.

Securing three points at Salt Lake, though, won't be easy. Real is 6-1-4 at Rio Tinto Stadium and has outscored visiting opponents 24-10 - the largest goal differential in the league.

Salt Lake knocked Chivas out of the Western Conference playoffs last season, but Chivas won the teams' lone meeting this season 1-0 at The Home Depot Center on May 9.

Real is in sixth place in the West, due largely to a 1-8-2 road record. Defensive issues abounded for the club at New England on Sunday, as Revolution striker Kheli Dube netted a hat trick in a 3-1 win.

"The commitment on the defensive side of the ball just wasn't good enough," Real coach Jason Kreis said. "We have to take a good, long, hard look at who is going to be on the field because we can't continue to go with guys who don't show the effort."

Kreis may not have a choice when it comes to two of his most important players. Striker Yura Movsisyan, second on the team with six goals, sat out Sunday with a shoulder injury, and midfielder Javier Morales is doubtful for Wednesday after leaving early against the Revolution with a groin injury.

Salt Lake will have midfielder Clint Mathis and defender Jamison Olave back Wednesday. Both were suspended for the game against New England.