Sports stats



Chivas USA Fall to Real Salt Lake at Home

May 20, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CARSON, Calif. (Sunday, May 19, 2013) - Chivas USA fell 4-1 to Real Salt Lake Sunday night at The Home Depot Center in the second of three season meetings between the club. RSL went up by two scores on goals by Ned Grabavoy and Joao Plata. Chivas USA answered back with a score from Jorge Villafaña in the second half, but the visitors pulled away with two additional scores by Robbie Findley and Grabavoy.

RSL took the early lead in the fourth minute on Grabavoy's first goal of the season. Midfielder Javier Morales appeared to gear up to unleash a strike from deep outside the box but did not hit the ball square and sent a squibler that found Grabavoy as he made his run. Grabavoy gathered the ball and found the back of the net as he shot from near the arc outside the box.

Playing a goal down, the Rojiblancos managed to get into dangerous spots and begin to knock on RSL's goal throughout the first half. In the 17th minute, midfielder Jorge Villafaña worked the ball from the left side and found plenty of space that allowed him to push toward the near post. Villafaña cross, however, was broken up by RSL's defense.

Two minutes later, fellow midfielder Eric Avila smashed his shot into the cross bar from the left side of the box off a corner kick. After the corner was sent into the mixer, the ball was headed to an unmarked Avila who nearly evened the score with his left-footed strike.

The Rojiblancos continued generate threats around the goal. Midfielder Martin Aaron Ponce, who earned his first start in his home debut tonight since joining the Rebaño Angelino, sent a low cross from the left side to a cutting Jose Correa in the 31st minute. Correa's slicing header was on frame near the short area and caused RSL keeper Nick Rimando to make a last-second save to preserve the 1-0 lead going into half time.

RSL went up 2-0 in the 48th minute off a deflected pass deep in Chivas USA territory. Plata recovered the loose ball and worked the ball down the middle of the field and shot from on top of the 18-yard line past keeper Dan Kennedy.

Chivas USA cut the lead in half in the 55th minute when Villafaña knocked in his first goal of the season. Midfielder Edgar Mejia crossed his pass from the right side near sideline and into the short area. Villafaña was positioned by the near post and headed his score past Rimando. The assist brought Mejia's season total to three, tying him for the team lead with Villafaña.

Midfielder Giovani Casillas entered the match in the 56th minute and nearly helped the Red-and-White generate the equalizer a minute later. Casillas crossed a pass from the left wing to Correa who brought the pass down and got off a shot on frame. But Rimando was able to deny the threat.

RSL was able to go back up by two scores in the 78 minute on Findley's second goal of the year. A cross from the right wing by Alvarez was not cleared out cleanly by the Goats' defense and Findley was there to take advantage of the loose ball finding the back of the net.

The visitors put the finishing touch on the four-goal performance when Grabavoy knocked in his second goal of the match for the 4-1 result on Khari Stephenson's first assist.

Chivas USA will next travel to face the Colorado Rapids in a Western Conference battle. The match will be the second meeting between the clubs this season and can be heard in Spanish on W Radio 690 beginning at 6 p.m. (PT).



Major League Soccer Stories from May 20, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central