The Los Angeles Galaxy will be making their
first Major League Soccer playoff appearance in five years when they square
off against their L.A. neighbors, Chivas USA, on Sunday night at The Home
Depot Center in their Western Conference Semifinal Series.
The meeting will be the first-ever in the playoffs between the rivals,
ratcheting up the intensity in the already heated derby.
"To play two games with that much at stake, I think it's great," L.A. defender
Gregg Berhalter said. "If you look at all the playoff match-ups, there are
some interesting ones in the first round. In our case, add to the fact we're
in the same stadium, the same city, we're big rivals ...it's great."
Chivas USA has failed to make it out of the first round of their previous two
playoff appearances the past two seasons, mainly because of injury concerns on
the front line. But heading into the match-up with the Galaxy, the Goats are
relatively healthy up top.
"We've never been out of the first round," Chivas USA defender Jonathan
Bornstein said. "What we need to take out of that is that we need to score
some goals. Every second leg [of our previous playoff series], we dominated
the play of the game but we just couldn't score goals and ultimately, that's
what killed us."
Goats forward Justin Braun is hoping the competition for playing time brings
out the best in the Chivas USA attackers.
"It's definitely good when you have all the guys out there fighting for a
spot," he said. "It makes good competition in the team and helps everyone
increase their level of play."
The Galaxy will be counting on a pair of rookie defenders - Omar Gonzalez
and A.J. DeLa Garza - to help slow down the Chivas USA attack and allow them
to play their possession oriented game.
"We've told [the rookies] it's another level," L.A. defender Todd Dunivant
said. "Everyone picks it up, it's another step up in intensity. It's going to
be a physical game and you have to match that intensity. In the postseason the
biggest part is defense, and that's been our strength all year. If we can keep
that going, we'll be a tough team to beat."
The rest of the back line will be key for the Galaxy as well.
"That's the recipe of success in this league," L.A. attacker Landon Donovan
said. "Being compact and good defensively is huge. [Goalkeeper] Donovan
[Ricketts] has been great and our back four has been consistently good. We
always know we're going to make chances going the other way."
Chivas USA will be without defender Jim Curtin, midfielders Kevin Harmse,
Jesse Marsch, Bojan Stepanovic and Sasha Victorine, and forward Ante Razov,
while defender Claudio Suarez is questionable, and defender Bornstein and
midfielder Paulo Nagamura are probable, all with injuries.
The Galaxy will be without defender Julian Valentin and forward Alecko
Eskandarian, while midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi is questionable.
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