There is not a lot that can be said about Chivas USA right now that hasn’t already been written before. The season is over.
Houston Dynamo 5 – 1 Chivas USA
Chivas USA 0 – 1 San Jose Earthquakes
LA Galaxy 5 – 0 Chivas USA
Their last three results against Houston, San Jose and LA have ended any hope that fans could see the Goats at least finish the season on something of a high. There may be more games to play, but after conceding 11 goals in 3 games (6 of which came against Californian rivals) spirits are again at an all-time low. It is not very likely that something spectacular could happen against Real Salt Lake or the Portland Timbers that would bring any respite from the mauling at the hands of the LA Galaxy. It was all about “playing for pride” in this home stretch, however the word of choice is now “embarrassing”.
On Sunday Chivas fans wanted to forget about every game and dropped point of 2013 and just enjoy a decent performance and/or victory over their Los Angeles rivals. The fact LA Galaxy were the MLS Cup holders and 19 points ahead of them in standings was irrelevant…it was all about bragging rights after 90 minutes of soccer on a Sunday afternoon. It was about bringing a small band of supporters into your rivals’ stadium and leaving with something to sing about.
The odds were stacked against Chivas USA but you could not help but dream that this would be one of those days to remember (for the right reasons). It turned into a nightmare for the away fans though, as LA Galaxy took a 4-0 first half lead and finished the day with 5 goals and a shutout.
In a game full of negatives, one of the only positive things to report was the atmosphere created by the Union Ultras and Black Army 1850. Chivas USA are known for low attendances and this game by no means brought fans out in numbers, but it was definitely a day of quality and not quantity in the stands. The performance on the field may have been embarrassing, but the fans did themselves proud and ensured they left the Stub Hub having done their job. As always Dan Kennedy and Bobby Burling acknowledged our contribution at the end despite suffering a humiliating defeat (some fans were left slightly irate at the fact no other players came over to applaud the Chivas USA fans in the away section).
So what now for Chivas USA? The season is almost over and it is ending on a very dull note. Will our coach be there next season to continue his project at Chivas USA? Will “Cubo” and “Boca” be our high profile stars that lead us to success next season? Will the fans return? It is hard to even contemplate what Chivas USA 2013/14 is going to be like.
