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Chivas USA, Dynamo battle to scoreless draw

May 4, 2008 - 4:10 AM By Jeremy Rakes PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

HOUSTON (Ticker) - Chivas USA's Brad Guzan stopped five shots and Pat Onstad of the Houston Dynamo finished with three saves as the teams played to a scoreless tie on Saturday.

The clubs entered the game first and second in the league in fouls, and it was a physical game from the outset.

Chivas was whistled for 18 fouls while Houston was issued for 17 fouls as the rivalry heated up. The teams were whistled for an MLS season-high eight yellow cards and a red card, which was given to Chivas USA's Claudio Suarez in the 82nd minute.

"It's always a physical game; that's the style that they play," Guzan said. "They always bring a hard, physical game and we know that. It's no surprise. To compete with them, you have to be able to battle.

"You have to be able to get in on tackles ... and get in on headballs and all that. You have to know that it's not always going to be pretty, and it's going to be ugly at times as well."

The best chance for Houston to score was in the 88th minute when Dwayne De Rosario found Corey Ashe, but his one-timer was stopped by Guzan. Houston was shutout for a third time this season.

"My throat is a little sore and it is for the reason you think it is," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said. "It's a frustrating night. We played well, had our chances, but we need a goal. We need to break out of our slump. Obviously, they came here for a reason - to get a tie - and they got exactly what they were looking for.

"Now that puts the real pressure on us to score that first goal because that is what will really take teams out of what they are trying to do and what they are trying to accomplish. But you have to give Chivas an extreme amount of credit. They came here with a plan and they got some help by not being punished for wasting a considerable amount of time."

Chivas USA's Lawson Vaughn left the game in the ninth minute with a broken nose and a laceration on his face after getting kicked in the face by De Rosario.

Vaughn had his nose set in the locker room, but will be re-evaluated Sunday.

"We knew it was going to be a tight game, a hard-fought game," Chivas USA coach Preki said. "I'm actually proud of my group for the way they played, the way they came out, the way we defended. We had a couple of really good chances. In some ways, I thought we had the better chances, quicker chances. I'm proud of the way we played, the way we defended as a group, finally. We played like we played last year."

Chivas USA (1-3-2) and Houston (0-2-4) finished last season first and second, respectively, in the Western Conference, but Houston remains the only winless team in the MLS.

"Things just aren't going our way right now," Onstad said. "We are fighting hard and I think the guys are committed to the cause - it's not like anyone is quitting on anybody. Right now, we are just not getting that lucky bounce. We're not getting that deflection on a free kick. Things just aren't going our way right now."