For seven years now, Chivas USA have lived in the shadows of the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Galaxy were one of the original clubs in MLS and also one of the most successful in the league. When they built the Home Depot Center, the Galaxy had the preeminent soccer-specific stadium in the country and players like Cobi Jones and Mauricio Cienfuegos made the club further standouts in an admittedly low-profile league.
Chivas USA Vs. LA Galaxy, SuperClasico: Goats Remin In Galaxy’s Shadow
Then Chivas USA came in, a little brother of Mexico's uber-successful Chivas Guadalajara and looked to scoop the Mexican population in Los Angeles. It never happened and only besting LA in one of six seasons so far, while the Galaxy picked up players like Landon Donovan and David Beckham didn't help.
So here we sit in 2011 with Chivas still the Los Angeles professional soccer afterthought. The Galaxy are still the preeminent team in the city and with the star power and money backing the Galaxy, Chivas are unlikely to make up ground in the tabloids. Where they can make up ground is on the field, where the Galaxy have been far superior of late. The Goats first chance to close the results gap in 2011 comes on Saturday night, but more important to Chivas than closing the gap on LA is moving up the table.
Under new head coach Robin Fraser, Chivas has done what is to be expected of a team now run by a former defender. They have built up their back line and it has paid off. A year after being torched at the back time and time again, Chivas have allowed the second-fewest goals in the league. That will challenge a Galaxy attack that last week aside has had trouble scoring.
What will give the Galaxy hope that they can get some goals against Chivas is last week, when they blew past Sporting Kansas City, 4-1. Landon Donovan continued his sensational play, scoring twice, and David Beckham scored on a blinding free kick as well. That wasn't the big story for Los Angeles though. It was the goal by Juan Pablo Angel that gives them hope that their attack fortunes are changing.
A year ago, the Galaxy were heavily dependent on Edson Buddle to do most of the attacking work and that's what he did. Unfortunately for LA, Buddle left the club after the year for Germany. In their search for his replacement, LA came upon their third designated player, Angel. The aging striker had been deadly for the New York Red Bulls and the Galaxy were hoping for the same at the Home Depot Center. The beginning of the season didn't go as planned though, with Angel battling illness, injury and poor form. Last week was his liveliest week yet though and his goal ignited hopes that he may be able to lead the Galaxy line, which if he can do, makes the Galaxy a dangerous attacking side.
For Chivas, their attack is entirely dependent on Justin Braun, not that that is a terrible thing. After all, Braun has emerged as one of the better strikers in MLS and after a rough start, he has come on strong. The striker scored three times last week in the Goats' 3-2 win over New York and against a defense prone to mistakes, like LA's, the best thing any team can have is a hot striker. That is what Braun is right now.
Chivas hasn’t defeated Los Angeles since 2007 and with the Galaxy leading the league on 20 points, this doesn’t appear to be the match that they end that streak. If the Goats can manage a win though, it will vault them right into the second pack of teams in the Western Conference, a position that would be a dream for a team in year one of rebuilding under a new head coach. As lovely as it would be though, it is hardly the smartest bet because this one has all the makings of continued Galaxy dominance.
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