Chivas puts perfect road mark on line at Rapids

Commerce City, CO – Most teams trying to snap a three-game losing streak would welcome a home game in an effort to break that skid.

But in the case of the Colorado Rapids, seeing Chivas USA visit Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday might not be exactly what the club wants right now.

Chivas has been poor at home this season, losing all four of its games at The Home Depot Center and failing to even score a goal.

For all its futility at home this season, the results for Chivas have been the opposite on the road as the club has won all three of its matches while conceding just one goal.

A 1-0 defeat against the Philadelphia Union last time out was a disappointing result considering that the Union had two players sent off in the final 15 minutes. But forward Juan Pablo Angel still found encouragement from the match.

"It's hard to take positives when you lose, but there were lot of things that happened today that gave us encouragement for the following games," said Angel. "We created chances in the second half that we haven't managed to create at home. We looked more dangerous and were putting more people in the box. But it's still extremely disappointing to not earn a point at home."

Chivas will be hoping its stellar road form continues on Saturday, while the Rapids are aiming to bring an end to a losing streak that was extended to three matches following a 2-1 defeat against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The loss came only after Omar Cummings had a penalty kick saved in stoppage time by Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders, denying the Rapids a point.

But Cummings scored a nice goal earlier in the match to snap Colorado's 242- minute scoreless streak, and more help could be on the way with the return of forward Conor Casey.

A groin injury as well as a bout with strep throat have kept Casey on the sidelines, but he is expected to be back in the team for Saturday's match, likely starting the game on the bench.

Colorado head coach Oscar Pareja knows this is no time to panic, but he is also aware that his team doesn't want to fall too far off the pace and leave itself in a difficult spot at the end of the season.

"Every game has a different challenge," Pareja said. "And right now, the group is aware that we have to start winning games because we don't want the season to go by and make it hard for us at the end."