This evening the StubHub Center will be packed out for the second SuperClásico of the season between the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA.
What a difference a few months makes.
Back in March when the rivals last clashed, José Luis Sánchez Solá was in charge and the dawn of a new era was taking place at Chivas USA. A 1-1 tie played out on the pitch and Chivas felt aggrieved that they didn’t snatch all three points despite Carlos Alvarez equalizing late on.
Fast forward to now and things are vastly different. Now the Goats are bottom of the Western conference after a bright start and “El Chelís” is no more. The Mexican manger was given his marching orders and confusion once again reigns as Chivas USA’s future is hanging in the balance.
Interim manager Jose Luis Real will be managing in his first SuperClásico and results haven’t gone kindly since he took over at the beleaguered MLS franchise.
But despite everything that has gone on, Goats fans are looking forward to the rivalry match with the Galaxy. In recent weeks LA have faltered again, and now find themselves nine points off the top of the West after the weekends earlier games.
Jorge Villafaña has been with Chivas for seven seasons and he is confident the Goats are moving forward towards making the playoffs, which he recalls fondly.
“I remember it well and it is something very exciting and that’s what we are working on to reach that level. And now with [Real], the team is taking shape and developing and the difference is noticeable. It takes time, but I think it can be done. He’s a very good coach and what better than to get a result against the Galaxy to give us a huge boost in confidence. In these matches you forget about the past because they are unique and we come into the match confident.”
While Landon Donovan believes a desperate Chivas side have improved since the start of the season.
“We expect their very best. We watched the Vancouver game [a 3-1 Chivas defeat] and they’re a much better team than they were earlier in the year. This is a big game for them and they know that, and this is a big game for us. I expect that they’ll be a lot different than they have been in the last few months.”
In eight seasons of the rivalry, LA have won seven SuperClasico titles, while Chivas have triumphed just once in 2007. The series is level before game two and with just one more meeting between the sides on October 6, Chivas know a win will edge them closer to picking up the SuperClásico trophy for just the second-time in franchise history.
That would be something worth celebrating after the kind of season Chivas USA and their fans have endured. You can watch the game on UniMas at 11pm ET. Below there are SuperClásico stats and a video of the rivalries top five goals.
Wins all-time:
LA Galaxy: 16
Drawn: 6
Chivas USA: 4
Largest victories:
Galaxy 5-2 Chivas (August 2005)
Galaxy 3-0 Chivas (September 2006)
Chivas 3-0 Galaxy (August 2007)
Chivas 3-0 Galaxy (September 2007)
Galaxy 5-2 Chivas (April 2008)
