In just a few short hours, we'll be looking to continue onward toward our third consecutive win to start the season. On the opposite end of the scale, Chivas USA will be looking to grab their first point or three to make up for a miserable start to their campaign.
That slightly worries me. Not real worry, mind, but the sort of worry that can be pretty well obviated by some brief moments of rational thought. Perhaps it's because that story's been written and told over and over again. You know the one: Club A is doing well, Club B is doing poorly, Club B overcomes the obstacles and the odds to shock everyone into a win. Anyway, that story's only interesting because it's atypical, so real worry about it isn't worth the time it would take.
If I were a betting man (I might be were I somewhere else, but I am not, so I am not), I wouldn't bet against us, but I also wouldn't bet for us, mostly because I'd have to put in a hefty chunk of change to win anything of value after we win. Unless, of course, I was involved in betting on individuals. Alas, I am not, and this is all off-topic. After all, there's a match in under eight hours.
We can speculate on a few things: Chivas may be without Juan Pablo Angel, who sat out last match with concussion. Former RSL boy Rauwshan McKenzie may be handed another start at his new club. Some other folks will play. (If you can't tell, I don't pay a huge amount of attention, for better or worse, to Chivas.) I don't know, also, that we won't be looking for a bit of revenge — the fans certainly will be — for the horrific leg break inflicted on the talismanic Javier Morales last season at the Rio Tinto. It is perhaps good — for many reasons — that Marcos Mondaini is no longer with Chivas.
Let's move on to the lineup, as it's altogether more interesting and more in our control.
At the back, there's no doubting that we'll see Nick Rimando in goal. I'd almost be tempted to skip over him in discussion, but he's a key cog in our system, and he's our player, and all that — so don't worry, I won't. There'd hardly be any reason to, but to save a few words, and I'm afraid if that's my concern, I've been doing this all a bit wrong.
In front and to the right of Mr. Rimando, we should see Tony Beltran, who looks to have recovered well from his injury. He did at times look a bit uncomfortable against New York, but I do think he'll have a better night with some rest under his belt. On the opposite flank, Chris Wingert will retain his place and hopefully his form. His passing up and down the wing against New York was essential.
At the center back pairing, I'd imagine we'll see another reappearance of the mysterious Schulave, who, while not quite as domineering as Borlave, has been performing quite well this season. Chris Schuler seems to have become more vocal and commanding on the left side, while Olave is, well, as Olave as ever. It was nice noticing in training how much Chris Schuler was communicating, shouting out to his teammates and whatnot. My major complaint for a big chunk of last year was the he simply didn't communicate enough. I'm loving that he's looked to have made some serious ground on that.
Ahead of the back, we'll inevitably see Capt. Kyle Beckerman continue in midfield, though he'll be looking to have a bit of a better game than he did against New York. He wasn't miserable, mind, but his passing was a bit off and his decision-making wasn't up to his exceptionally high standards. Everyone, though, has an off game occasionally, and Kyle's no different. I suspect he'll have a better game against a team that isn't trying to crowd the midfield and make his job more difficult — plus, he won't be marking Thierry Henry, which is a particularly unenviable task.
On either side of him I suspect we'll see Ned Grabavoy — that's no surprise — and Sebastian Velasquez again. The Kid has been making waves across the league — and for good reason — and has handled the expectations well so far. He's been the surprise of the season, coming into the first two matches of the season and playing like he's been playing professionally for some time. It's easy to forget that a start for him tonight would be the third start (and third appearance) of his still-short professional career, but it's just the mark of a kid who really is ready. I suspect Ned will continue to sit a little deeper while Sebastian will go a little further forward, but that may also depend on the performance of Tony Beltran and both their marking responsibilities. There are, of course, many factors at play.
In the playmaking spot in the diamond, I wouldn't be surprised to see one Javier Morales start ahead of Luis Gil. I'd be quite happy to see that. While I do like Luis quite a bit, there's only one Javier Morales, and if he's fit, he starts. It's a pretty simple proposition. He may not go all 90 minutes, but I do see this as a good match for him to grab his first start.
Up front, Fabian Espindola will be looking for his place in the side's record books: A goal for him tonight would put him level with Robbie Findley, and a second would see him go clear. Let's hope he gets two at home tonight before setting off on the road against Portland — partly because I'd like to see it, but also because I'd like to see an excellent reaction from the crowd. Partnering him will be, if I'm to guess, Alvaro Saborio, who must be close to full fitness. He did go 90 minutes for the reserves in mid-week, and here's hoping that he's ready to go all the way.
In a briefer form: Rimando / Beltran, Schuler, Olave, Wingert / Grabavoy, Beckerman, Velasquez / Morales / Saborio, Espindola
Right, then. Let's get on with it.
Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
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