Carson, CA – After one week off, Chivas USA hopes to pick up where it left off as the club hosts the Colorado Rapids at The Home Depot Center on Saturday.
Following a 3-0 home defeat to the Columbus Crew to begin the season, Chivas is unbeaten in its last four games, including three wins, to move into second place in the Western Conference.
The Rapids, meanwhile, had to wait until their sixth game of the season to collect their first win, a 1-0 triumph over Real Salt Lake last time out.
A big reason for the success of Chivas is down to defending, as the club has yielded just four goals in its last four games after giving away three to the Crew.
Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy may not have a clean sheet to his name this season, but it is something that the club will be focusing on when the Rapids visit on Saturday.
"Especially as a defender, we'd like to see zeroes back there," said Chivas defender Bobby Burling. "Any time we put up a zero it gives our team a chance to win a game. It's about attention to detail, little plays here and there. If you look at every goal [we have allowed], it's not just one guy's fault, it's a combination of three or four plays."
Keeping the ball out of the net will be the goal for Chivas, but the club has done quite well at finding the net on the offensive end by tying for the league lead in goals with FC Dallas, having netted 10 times in five contests.
The scoring load has been shared so far, with Juan Agudelo the only player on the team to score more than once, but he is unlikely to start Saturday's match because of a hamstring problem and is hopeful of just making the bench.
Colorado had to be relieved to finally pick up three points after a slow start, but Rapids head coach Oscar Pareja felt it was nothing more than his team deserved.
"Despite the lack of results, I would say that they deserve more," Pareja said after his team's win over RSL. "They kept fighting with determination, and today is a good reward. I thought the game rewarded them today for that fight, and as I say, there are many things that need to be better for sure, but [today] is a day to enjoy."
The win will no doubt take some pressure off the club, but Pareja knows his team is facing a tough task against a motivated Chivas side.
"(Chivas USA) is a team that has been transformed in its mentality," Pareja said. "It seems now that everyone is under the same concepts and ideas that their coach has implemented. I can see a team that is pushing towards the same way. That's difficult to play against."
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