Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Thoughts on Tauro FC

Chivas USA will host a critical match against Tauro FC tonight. Chivas USA needs to win by two goals in order to have any hopes of advancing to the CONCACAF Champions League.

Here is audio of my post-game chat with Jonathan Bornstein about the game.

Acutally, it's a bit more complicated than just winning by two.

A 2-0 Chivas USA win would send the game to injury time.

A 3-1 Chivas USA win would send Tauro through (road goal edge).

If Tauro scores a single goal, that would ensure that the game would end in regulation no matter what.

Chivas USA will go through with a win by three or more goals regardless of how many goals Tauro scores.

Does Chivas have a shot? It's going to be tough. Ante Razov and Alecko Eskandarian were each already less than 100 percent and to expect them to go again at such a strong clip three days later might be asking too much. I'd expect Justin Braun and Roberto Nurse to play. With those two and Sacha Kljestan, Atiba Harris and Panchito Mendoza searching for offense, I think Chivas has a shot.

Defensively, though, Chivas could be gassed. The central defense pairing will be the same as Tuesday unless Claudio Suarez has some sort of miraculous recovery.

Still, this time it is Tauro FC who has traveled and will play in unfamiliar territory. That's an advantage as well.

If you're going to the game, remember that parking is free. That alone should make for a memorable match.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Free parking! I wish I had known sooner - I would have driven the 3,000 miles to the game.

Re JB, I couldn't listen (at work). What's his MNT status, i.e. why hasn't he been called up recently? Injury, poor form, ill-advised trip to Israel, other?

L.B. said...

I just think because he's been injured and hasn't really recovered his form. I don't think it will be impossible for him to regain a spot on the team but it will take time. The injuries, though, really set him back quite a bit.

Anonymous said...

"If Tauro scores a single goal, that would ensure that the game would end in regulation no matter what." -----

I know what you are trying to say here.... That it would be VERY difficult for Chivas USA to score 4 goals, but technically, if Tauro score, then Chivas could still win with 4 goals.

It's not like something like that has never happened before. Liverpool did it, going three goals down in the 2nd half of the 2nd game. (Not that Chivas can be compared to Liverpool, but Tauro FC isn't AC Milan either.)

Let's see what happens...
As long as Chivas don't get their butts handed to them like the NE Revolution did... ouch!

Damn MLS and its single entity league. Stupid salary cap and non-FIFA schedule. (Pout..pout..pout)

Anonymous said...

jajajajajaj do you like it???? TAURO FC WIN JAJAJAJAJAJAJ ENJOY IT

Anonymous said...

You guys deserved to win, Congratulations Tauro FC

anonymous Chivas USA fan