Historic series a 'dream matchup' for Chivas
Red-and-White looking forward to playoff at Home Depot Center
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According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time a playoff series occurred in the USA where both teams hosted games at the same venue was in 1944, when the St. Louis Cardinals battled the St. Louis Browns for Major League Baseball's World Series crown. All games in the series were played at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.
The series between Chivas USA and the Galaxy will play out at The Home Depot Center. The two-legged playoff will be the fourth and fifth meetings of the teams in 2009, but will be the first occasions that the teams have faced each other in the MLS postseason.
"It's kind of a dream matchup," said Chivas USA striker Justin Braun. "It's a good rivalry and it's definitely going to be a good atmosphere in [the stadium]. Those games are always intense and I'm sure the playoffs will even increase that intensity. The team's looking forward to it."
The 2009 postseason is Chivas USA's fourth consecutive foray into MLS playoff action. The team has never progressed past the first round, however, losing to Houston in 2006, Kansas City in 2007, and Real Salt Lake in 2008.
"We've never been out of the first round," said Jonathan Bornstein. "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."
The Red-and-White scored 34 goals during the regular season, which is the lowest mark in the Western Conference.
"We controlled the play and created a lot of opportunities for ourselves," said Bornstein of the team's form in the regular season. "We're not putting them in the back of the net, unfortunately, but just the fact that we're creating them is positive for the team and is something that we're looking forward to continuing into the playoffs."
The Galaxy triumphed in the 2009 regular season SuperClásico series, earning two wins and a draw against the Red-and-White, but Chivas USA aren't too worried about past results.
"The playoffs are totally different than the regular season," said Marcelo Saragosa. "We have to forget the last 30 games and play like every game is a final. It will be a good fight."
Chivas USA are also excited at the prospect of playing two games at The Home Depot Center, having lost just three times all season in Carson. The Galaxy, on the other hand, struggled at home in 2008, scoring the second-fewest number of goals in all of MLS on their home turf.
"We feel most comfortable at The Home Depot Center," said Ante Jazic. "It's a big pitch, we can play our game, and I always like our chances there."
The Red-and-White have also been bolstered by an active roster that is almost entirely healthy.
"It's definitely good when you have all the guys out there fighting for a spot," said Braun. "It makes good competition in the team and helps everyone increase their level of play."
Sunday afternoon's match will be broadcast on both ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, and as the first playoff SuperClásico ever, it's sure to be an electric atmosphere.
"It's going to be out of control," said Bornstein. "There's a lot of hype about every SuperClásico, but this is a playoff Clásico. I think it's exciting on all levels."
Jeffrey King is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
