Chivas USA Notes (2-2 Draw vs. DC United, RFK Stadium, Washington DC, 9/21/11)
 
·         Washington D.C. – On a rainy hot and humid Wednesday evening in our Nation’s Capitol Chivas USA set out with one goal in mind: one game at a time. With just 4 matches left after tonight’s game the focus is on making the playoffs. In front of a home crowd 14,849,the final score, a 2-2 draw only partially reflected the intense action that took place on the pitch for over 90 minutes. The Goats played this game with the passion and tenacity that is necessary to qualify for the play-offs and this is just what the doctor ordered to light the fuse for Chivas USA. This tie keeps the Goats in seventh place in the Western Conference and right in the hunt with 32 points and a record of 7-12-11 for the season, but more importantly it gives them confidence.
 
·         The goals for the home team came off a couple of set pieces; the first in the 39th minute by De Rosario assisted Najar. Their second, 2 minutes into the second half by Ethan White on an unassisted play.
 
·         For the Rojiblancos the scoring tonight was handled by Columbian striker Juan Pablo Angel, whom put the Goats on the board at the 57th minute with a paralyzing header by way of a service from All Star Nick LaBrocca. Fourteen minutes later on an assist from Canadian Ante Jazic, Angel would once again dominate the United net.
 
·         Super Dan Kennedy was up to his saves again tonight. After what looked like a dive by De Rosario inside the small box a PK was called in favor of DC. And right then when it seemed that all was but done, Mr. Kennedy came up huge in the third minute of stoppage time and blocked the PK.
 
·         Many positives came from the match this evening, including the return of USMNT’s call up and All Star defender Heath Pearce, who not only looked solid on D, it seemed as though he didn’t lose a step while he was out.
 
·         The Red and White will host Toronto FC this Saturday. As the Goats finish off the month of September schedule at The Home Depot Center this coming Saturday night. They will have played three games in a week as Chivas USA receive their neighbors from north of the border the Toronto FC. The match set to kick off at 7:30 pm PT, and will broadcast on KDOC-TV and KWHY Channel 22 as well as W Radio 690 AM. For information on the game, please visit cdchivasusa.com
 
THE WORD FROM THE TEAMS:
 
·         CHIVAS USA – HEAD COACH ROBIN FRASER
           
On the game: “It’s a little bit disappointing when you give up two set piece goals. We’ve given up a few set piece [goals] over the last few weeks when that’s something we were really quite good at for a while. So it’s disappointing when really I felt like we did a good job of limiting [D.C. United’s] chances during the first half. And then obviously to give up a free header on a set piece goal is disappointing. And then we come out in the second half and give up another set piece goal, extremely disappointing. However, I was very pleased with the character the team showed tonight. I thought we did a good job of coming back. We put ourselves in a chance to win the game and it really ended positively. Obviously we could have lost it in the dying minutes, but Dan Kennedy makes a great save and I just think it speaks volumes and encapsulates the second half performance. We did a lot of things well, we played very positively, we were able to create some chances, and then we make a big save at the end to at least walk out with a point. So, certainly the overall feeling walking out is that we gave a good account of ourselves.”
 On changes made in the second half: “After we’d gone down two goals, we went back to two forwards. We were able to get the ball into wide areas and get some good service in. Juan [Pablo Angel] had two great finishes.”
On earning the road point: “[Getting the point] is critical. At this point, certainly there’s a host of teams that are kind of at the bottom and looking up into the playoff race and every point you get is critical at this time. Obviously we’d like to have gotten three [points], but a point is better than no points at all.”
·         CHIVAS USA – FORWARD  JUAN PABLO ANGEL
On the game: “It’s been a bit of a difficult time for us. We haven’t been playing the greatest football lately. Today we conceded two goals that to our standards we shouldn’t have conceded and we put ourselves on the back foot, but then I thought we showed a lot of resilience and character and more of what we expect from this team. It allowed us to even the game up and we could have won it. There are a lot of positives today. I think this is going to be a great boost for the team and we still mathematically have a chance to qualify [for the playoffs] and we’re going to give it the best effort that we can.
On Dan Kennedy’s penalty kick save: “[It was] immense. [Dan Kennedy] has been terrific throughout the year and he proved it again today, so [I was] delighted.”
On scoring twice: “Since I’ve moved to [Chivas USA] I have enjoyed the game again. I feel that I’ve been playing better every game. I’m feeling more comfortable on the ball and in the air. Today I was happy that my goals helped the team to get at least a tie.”
 
·         CHIVAS USA – GOALKEEPER DAN KENNEDY
On saving the penalty kick: “I thought it was a rather soft call to begin with. I think DeRo [Dwayne De Rosario] sold it pretty well. We’ve had a tough run of games and been on the short side of the stick every now and again. It’s just a matter of getting the [shot] right and going the right way and I did and I got a good jump on him. So, regardless of how hard he could hit it, I felt like as long he was going to that side the more I could save it.”
 
On earning the point: “At this point in the season where we are at, one point is not enough. We really need three points every outing from here on out, but it will hopefully lift the spirits of the road trip a little bit and now we get to go back to The Home Depot Center and fight for our season at home in the remaining four games.”
On Juan Pablo Angel: “That’s the class that [Juan Pablo Angel] brings every time he comes out to the pitch. Whether it’s in training or in games, we know that if we can give him a couple chances he’ll bury them.”
 
 
·         DC UNITED  – HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN

Overall thoughts on the match: “My general thoughts on the match are that we played like boys. And not just the second half, I thought the first half we played soft, naïve. There’s a mentality to this game that right now some of our guys don’t have. We have talent – flashes – but it’s still not good enough, you need to have it for 90 minutes. Part of it is youth, and part of it is complacency. We are up 2-0 and now we think the game is easy; we get half the tackle, we don’t have to win second balls, and we roll the dice and hope we get lucky. It’s absolutely going to stop – it has to stop, or we will not make the playoffs, it’s that simple. The way we fade in and out of games as a group, the way we take breaks, is the reason why we haven’t had two games in a row. I don’t know if we should’ve been up 2-0, but we were, and to tie that game is absolutely ridiculous.”
On how to improve the team’s performance: “We can start by winning two games in a row, and finishing games off. When we are 2-0, make it 3-0. Finish the game off. Do all the little things that you need to do at 2-0 to kill the game. Too many of our guys right now don’t get that. It’s a very disappointing tie tonight. The guys are disappointed. We have got to look at ourselves in the mirror after this one, because it was an unacceptable performance from the start to the end.”
On what is missing: “I haven’t seen consistent, high-level performances game after game. It’s there – the talent is there, but talent is not enough. I have been on terrible teams and won games because we had guys that would do anything – anything – to win a game. And that means if they are tired, if they lose the ball, they don’t stop. If you have to run 40 yards as hard as you can to tackle or to help a teammate, you do it. And that part is missing, and it has got to stop. I will try my best to fix it. I’ll hold my hand up. I’m sure you can analyze that game and you can probably point fingers at me on some fashion, but I’m just very disappointed in the mentality of these guys. I just didn’t see it. Those guys did not reward the people that pay money to come and watch them. It’s not enough for me.”
On making changes for the next match: “I’ll have to evaluate [the team]. I’ll evaluate them physically and look at the tape. Sometimes I look at the tapes and realize I’m wrong. But I think I’m pretty spot on this one. Some of us will have to look at the mirror and figure out if we got it, because if we don’t then we will end the season early, and that’s not going to be good for anyone.
·         DC UNITED – MIDFIELDER CLYDE SIMMS
 
On his overall thoughts on the match: “It was ugly at first, but we were fortunate to come into the locker room at halftime up 1-0 off a nice goal by [Dwayne] De Rosario. We got an early goal in the second half, and we were in the position we wanted to be in. We lost our focus, and we didn’t do the things we did well in the first half defensively in the second half.” 
On the postseason implications of the draw: “This was a missed opportunity. Obviously being at home and being up 2-0 in the second half, [the loss] isn’t what we wanted. At the same time there is time left in the season, we are still in the playoff hunt, and there is plenty we have to learn from tonight. Hopefully we take a lesson from this.”
On facing Real Salt Lake at home on Saturday: “It’s always a tough game against Real Salt Lake – it’s going to be a battle. We’re going to have to adjust our strategy, with some guys having played two games in a short span, but I think we’re going to bring our best game. We’re going to need it. We’ll need to be disciplined, because they’re a good team offensively and they are compact and organized defensively. I’m confident in our team and I know we’ll get the job done.”
·         DC UNITED – DEFENDER ETHAN WHITE
 
On the draw: “It’s tough, because this tie feels like a loss. It’s very disappointing being two goals up and giving up that lead. We’ve got to keep playing and we are looking forward to the next game on Saturday.”
On scoring his first United goal: “It’s an unbelievable feeling. I grew up watching D.C. United, and stepping up and scoring during my rookie year – I wasn’t expecting that. It’s unbelievable, and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than celebrating that goal. But walking off the field it’s disappointing, because we could have won that game.”
On United’s next match: “We always have to try and get the win at home – that’s always the goal.”
Chivas USA (7-12-11) vs. DC United (8-8-11)
 
September 21, 2011- RFK Stadium
Scoring Summary:
DC — Dwayne De Rosario 10 (Andy Najar 5) 39
DC — Ethan White 1 (unassisted) 47
CHV — Juan Pablo Angel 6 (Nick LaBrocca 6) 57
CHV — Juan Pablo Angel 7 (Ante Jazic 7) 69
Misconduct Summary:
DC — Brandon McDonald (caution; Reckless Tackle) 20
CHV — Ben Zemanski (caution; Delaying a Restart) 30
CHV — Michael Umana (caution; Reckless Tackle) 46
Lineups:
Chivas USA — Dan Kennedy, Heath Pearce, Michael Umana (Michael Lahoud 83), David Junior Lopes, Ante Jazic, Jorge Flores (Justin Braun 55), Nick LaBrocca, Ben Zemanski, Juan Pablo Angel, Alejandro Moreno, Marcos Mondaini (Laurent Courtois 62).
Substitutes Not Used: Simon Elliott, Blair Gavin, Zarek Valentin, Zach Thornton.
D.C. United — Bill Hamid, Perry Kitchen, Ethan White, Brandon McDonald, Daniel Woolard, Andy Najar, Clyde Simms, Santino Quaranta, Charlie Davies (Austin Da Luz 68), Dwayne De Rosario, Josh Wolff (Stephen King 59).
Substitutes Not Used: Brandon Barklage, Marc Burch, Chris Korb, Joseph Ngwenya, Joe Willis.
Referee: Chris Penso
Referee’s Assistants: Steven Taylor; Matthew Kreitzer
4th Official: Alex Prus
Time of Game: 1:53
Weather: Cloudy and 74 degrees
Attendance: 14,849
cdchivasusa.com