The basics
· Chivas USA (3-4-1) at Columbus Crew (3-0-2), 7:30 ET
· Chivas leads the series 5-3-2 and is 1-2-2 in Crew Stadium
TV info
· Direct Kick, Matchday Live, ONN-TV
What's at stake?
Chivas seek to rebound from a 2-0 loss to Houston that saw the Goats scramble to get back into the match after allowing a pair of quick goals from the onset. Columbus look to run their home win streak to four. They are coming off a 3-2 victory over New England, who were beaten 4-0 at home by Chivas three days earlier.
Last meeting:
June 14, 2009 – Guillermo Barros Schelotto rallied the Crew to a 2-1 victory at home after Eduardo Lillingston put Chivas ahead in the 39th. The win avenged a 2-1 loss at the Home Depot Center in the first meeting of the season.
Remember when?
In a crazy, seesaw affair at Crew Stadium on April 12, 2008, it took Robbie Rogers’ second goal of the game to finally lift the Crew to a 4-3 victory. Schelotto opened the ledger with a penalty kick in the 26th before Sacha Klejstan countered in the 33rd. Alejandro Moreno made it 2-1 Crew two minutes later, and Rogers scored in the 71st minute. Chivas USA used goals from Jesse Marsch (72nd) and Paulo Nagamura (78th) to tie it. Rogers got the winner in the 82nd.
Heroes & Villains:
Yanks vs. Yanks – Kljestan and teammate Jonathan Bornstein will line up against Rogers and Chad Marshall on Saturday night. However, in less than 12 hours later, they will board the same plane headed for Princeton, N.J., and the U.S. national team’s World Cup camp. The quartet is part of the 30-man preliminary roster announced Tuesday by coach Bob Bradley.
Chivas USA attack vs. Crew midfielders Brian Carroll and Adam Moffat – The Crew’s central players are supposed to be the backbone of the defense, but last week against New England they did not cover spaces and allowed the Revolution midfielders too much build-up heading into the final third.
East vs. West – It’s a pride thing. The Western Conference holds a 15-6-6 record against the Eastern teams, but the Crew has been somewhat immune, beating Real Salt Lake and tying FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC on the road.
Stat that makes you go “Hmm …"
Chivas USA allowed only one goal in the opening 20 minutes of a match in 2009, but they have already done so in three of eight games this season, including yielding a pair in the first eight minutes against Houston last week. The Crew have not scored in the first 15 minutes of a match this season.
He said it
“I do a little bit of boxing at home. I used the bag a little bit (Monday) so that felt good.” – Crew midfielder Duncan Oughton on venting his frustration at not being named to New Zealand’s 23-man World Cup roster.
