Kick This!

United 0 - Chivas 2, Oct. 3, 2009

Stottpocalypse Now

The referee, Kevin Stott, did not have his best game. The score could have been 1-2 with DC fully-manned and almost half an hour to go. An entirely different match.

But, even if we lived in an alternate universe where Moreno drew the PK and Olsen was not sent off after being mauled, United would have lost. The result was inevitable, and neither tragic nor surprising. It was more like the passing of an elderly relative after a protracted illness and less like the sudden loss of a child in a traffic accident.

Great teams create their own luck. DC has raised its game recently to a level of dreary mediocrity, but this was far from sufficient. Neither great nor lucky (nor well-coached), United went down hard.

Why Is This Man Smiling?

Chivas USA has a record of 7-1-1 and 22 points, and sits on top of the table in the Western Conference.  To describe the team as "hot" right now would be an understatement.  It is 5-0 at home and its defense has 6 shutouts in 9 games.

Some may be looking forward to the upcoming match against United on Saturday night at the Home Depo Center as being a thrilling showdown between the leaders of the two conferences.  The Curmudgeon is not so sure this will be the case.  The Goats will be missing their talismanic golden boy, Sacha Kljestan, who will be suspended for card accumulation.  This fact and the possibility that United will come in and attempt to play attacking, possession-oriented soccer may well lead Preki to plan a particularly physical, disruptive game. 

On the visitor's bench, Soehn has to deal with rotating players to keep them rested, with the next match being on Wednesday in the Open Cup followed by a league match the following Saturday.  If he is able, Ben Olsen will probably start because United will need his grit in the midfield.  It would be surprising if Crayton does not get the start between the pipes, because this is a match up that seems to call for experience in goal.  The rest of the lineup presents interesting possibilities.  Will Soehn choose this game to roll out a back four of Namoff, Jakovic, Janicki and John?  Perhaps even go so far as to play a five man midfield with a lone target forward (even though we don't really have a player that fits the bill, that didn't stop Soehn before--remember the game last year where he left Francis Doe up there by himself?).  I'm not advocating such a move, but Soehn may well look at this game and decide the best thing to do is play for a tie on the road.

Last May, United lost 1-3 at Chivas.  This year's United team is younger and deeper, but it is still fairly early in the season and Soehn may be thinking about saving some of his horses for the stretch run.  If Soehn does decide to play for a tie, don't be surprised if Chivas is leading at the end.  Their keeper is on a hot streak and the team has a lot of talent.  Plus, how could you not take Chivas seriously when it has this:

(Note:  you can actually pick your favorite one here, although it looks like they don't accept orders for shipping them through the mail.)