MLS Thursday Night: Houston remain a work in progress, Chivas-Los Angeles duke it out in Carson
Friday, 02 April 10, 07:30 AM · Comments (1)
When Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark both made the jump to Europe over the offseason, Dominic Kinnear's job became infinitely more difficult.
In Thursday night's 2-1 win against Real Salt Lake, Houston showed they remain a work in progress -- something that most clubs are dealing with. For the first half, Houston was chasing the game, as the craft and guile of Javier Morales and Will Johnson dominated the game for the defending champs.
A Morales goal, well-worked through the heart of defense, demonstrated the potential Real Salt Lake has. For a team that has a consistently poor showing away from Rio Tinto, it was the bright start they needed to earn a second straight road win.
But it was not to be -- two defensive errors, and two Brad Davis penalties later, Houston emerged with all three points. The visitors tapered off after conceding two goals in three minutes, as Robbie Findley couldn't spark a fightback off the bench.
Watching Houston struggle is no surprise, though the pieces are in place to build another winning season. Geoff Cameron's versatility abounds, and once the 24-year-old learns to excel in his new role, Houston will be a much more formidable squad.
RSL's talent abounds and provided that Jamison Olave refrains from his daft outbursts that plague Salt Lake so often, they'll be in the mix for a second MLS Cup.
Galaxy ease to win in SuperClasico
If the Houston-Real Salt Lake featured dashes of attacking soccer, the SuperClasico out West was more about two teams sitting back, waiting for the other to make a first move.
Los Angeles and Bruce Arena have brought back what worked last year -- hunkering down, staying compact and organized, attacking through Edson Buddle up top. And the American striker responded with two goals, while Chivas struggled to break down the Galaxy defense.
While the Galaxy improved over last week's 1-0 win over a rather hapless and injured Revolution side, Chivas's slow start to 2010 continued. New signing Osael Romero failed to trouble Los Angeles, while Justin Braun had a night he'll want to quickly forget. The fact Braun stayed on the pitch until the 81st minute is a bit disturbing, as he never really got going.
The importance of Landon Donovan to the Galaxy can't be understated, especially with Beckham out for the season. He wasn't overly brilliant on Thursday, but didn't really have to be. Sean Franklin's excellent pass from the back set up Buddle's first, before Donovan broke free to set up the game's clinching goal.
Los Angeles is far from a finished product -- the Brazilian trio is still easing their way into the squad, and if they can match the stereotype of expectation, Los Angeles is transformed into a much more dangerous side.
Two wins from two matches is a strong start for Los Angeles, while on the flip side of that, Chivas have lost two from two. There were bright signs for the Rojiblancos -- Sacha Kljestan was lively, setting up teammates in dangerous positions, and the speed of Maykel Galindo can torment any MLS defense. It's now a question of him getting that first goal and staying healthy.
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Posted by travismclark
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blag said:Looking at the second half you can definitely see Houston can eventually get ba...
On MLS Thursday Night: Houston remain a work in progress, Chivas-Los Angeles duke it out in Carson
Nan said:Yes, we'll miss Jeff, but the other RED, Pat Phelan, will step up to the plate ...
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travismclark
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1 Comments · Add yours
Looking at the second half you can definitely see Houston can eventually get back to its powerhouse status, however that first half performance was terrible (by their normal standard) and excellent by RSL. I say you give them 3 to 4 more weeks before we know for sure if houston can or cannot keep its powerhouse status for another year. Houston has to start clicking fast or they are going to have a tough season, most of the second half of the season is away from home.