BY ADAM SERRANO
It's the Fourth of July week and tonight at the Home Depot Center, a pair of last place teams are hoping for some fireworks to get them out of the cellar.
The Philadelphia Union have not been successful on the road having earned a 1-7-0 record so far this season. Chivas USA will look to rebound after a team record six-game losing streak in MLS play. Both teams come into the match with 10 points and are in the bottom of their respective conferences.
This is Adam Serrano and coming to you live from the Carson, California. As always I will be providing you all of the commentary and you are welcome to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
Enjoy the Match.
90th Minute – 3 minutes of stoppage.
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89th Minute – The Rojiblancos are pushing for the goal, but the Union seem content to play for the point.
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86th Minute – CHIVAS USA SUB: Gerson Mayen for Jonathan Bornstein. Its a game of chess now as we approach the end. Bornstein is subbed out for a fellow local boy. South Central LA's own Gerson Mayen
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85th Minute – UNION SUB: Amobi Okugo comes on for Fred. The midfielder attended UCLA for a season before coming to MLS, this explains the eight people I saw in the parking lot with his jersey. Lets see if he can start anything for the Union.
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82nd Minute – YELLOW CARD: Ante Jazic with a harsh tackle on Le Toux. The striker goes down as Amobi Okugo prepares to come on for Philly.
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80th Minute – Tonight's Attendance 14,479, not a bad night for the Red and White.
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77th Minute – CHIVAS USA SUB: Chuky Chijindu comes on for Jesus Padilla. The constantly active Chijindu comes on for Padilla. The striker had a relatively poor game, he had constant chances, but could not find the back of the net. Chijindu should stretch the defense further as they push for the decisive goal
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76th Minute – The Rojiblancos put a great deal of pressure on the Union backline. They're constantly exploiting the space given to them by the Philly defense. The Union need a change bad or they risk allowing Chivas to break through.
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73rd Minute – Chivas USA had been falling back and looking to counter, but are now the aggressors as they look for their second goal. The effort pays off and they earn a corner.
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71st Minute – CHIVAS USA SUB: Ben Zemanski comes in for the invisible Osael Romero. Not a good day for the Salvadoran.
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70th Minute – The Union and the Rojiblancos are starting to run a bit more as the game opens up. Ben Zemanski, the second member of Chivas' Killer B's is getting ready to enter the match.
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65th Minute – BIG SAVE!! Fred with a breakway after a ChivasUSA turn over and Thornton comes up big to make the stop. The game is starting to open up a bit now.
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63rd Minute – Union SUB: Andrew Jacobson in for Shea Salinas.
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61st Minute – A fellow Cal grad (Go Bears!) Andrew Jacobsen looks set to come on after Seitz recovers.The Union need to create some offense and possibly pull Orozco-Fiscal who is a red card threat.
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59th Minute – Nothing given on the free kick, but Chivas earns a corner and after a sloppy sequence by Philly, a shot is hit on the side netting. Seitz goes down after a hard tumble and Brad Knighton gets up.
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58th Minute – Big time foul by Michael Orozco Fiscal on Jazic. A free kick is earned and a yellow is given to Orozco-Fiscal.
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49th Minute – Orozco tries to get the ball out of danger, but ends up getting fouled by Braun who throws him down. Justin needs to be careful, he's already carrying a yellow.
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48th Minute – The longer I look at the Union jerseys the more I dislike them. Yuck.
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46th Minute – Chivas USA keeping up the pressure and earn a quick Corner that is cleared by the Union.
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45th Minute – We're back underway at HDC. The Union have made a sub with young Jack McInerney coming in for Roger Torres.
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HALFTIME – A little bit of star power in the house tonight as former Chivas USA head coach and current coach of the United States Men's National Team Bob Bradley is in attendance. The crowd just gave him a great ovation.
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HALFTIME - The Union have looked the better team so far this half, but over the last ten minutes the Rojiblancos have come on to tie up the match. Chivas USA has put on a great deal of pressure on the Union just before half and was duly rewarded with a great effort by Gavin. The game goes into the half tied 1-1.
If you are following along, let me hear from you and where you're from.
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44th Minute – Its Deja Vu All Over again for the Union who have had disaster strike them just before the half, on both of their trips out west to the HDC. Last time a red card was given and this time a goal. 1 minute of stoppage time added.
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43rd Minute – Rojblancos put a great deal of pressure on the Philly defense and after a series of shots, the ball falls to Gavin who buries it from the edge of the box. Chivas USA retaining possession and pushing for a second before the half.
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42nd Minute – GOAL!!! CHIVAS USA! BLAIR GAVIN!!
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41st Minute – Chivas USA is flying now. A great pass from Jazic to Braun and the burly striker nearly plays it back to Romero, but Philly just clears it.
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39th Minute – The kick goes through the box, but Chivas put a few chances on net before Justin Braun saves an effort and tries to play it back to Padilla, but the striker is out of position. Not a good night for Padilla so far.
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37th Minute – Foul and a Yellow issued to Roger Torres for a foul on Trujillo. Free kick fro about 25 yards.
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36th Minute – OFF THE BAR!! Jazic plays a beautiful ball to the head of Padilla who sees his chance go just off the bar! The Rojiblancos nearly get in a goal a moment later when another effort by Romero is saved by Seitz.
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33rd Minute – Bornstein looks very active right now. He's challenging Salinas on the left wing and beating him nearly every time. For those unaware, Jonny was a striker in college and last season begged Preki to be put up front when Chivas wasn't scoring.
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31st Minute – BORNSTEIN AGAIN NEARLY SCORES FOR CHIVAS! Cross in catches Bornstein on a run, he just gets a foot to it and it goes right into the hands of Seitz.
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29th Minute – The Rojiblancos starting to put numbers forward, but the Union are really stepping up in defense and negating all of their chances.
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28th Minute – OVER THE BAR!! Bornstein nearly levels it with a header off the set piece, but it goes just over!
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26th Minute – FOUL on the Union sets up a free kick by Trujillo. Trujillo pushes over a union player and picks up a YELLOW CARD.
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24th Minute – Padilla nearly tries to head his own chance over the keeper but Seitz easily makes the save. The Philly keeper looks way more confident now than he looked earlier in the season. Great improvement by the Maryland man.
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22nd Minute – Arrieta plays a fantastic ball to Le Toux which he heads into space. Mwanga makes a great run and chips it over Thornton. Great play by Philly. Union 1 Chivas 0
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21st Minute – GOAL!!! UNION!!!!! DANNY MWANGA!!
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19th Minute- Corner adds up to nothing for Chivas. Defender Mariano Trujillo is the new corner kick taker with Kljestan gone and I can not say that I am fan of his ability. Weak efforts.
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17th Minute – The effort goes out and Chivas nearly strike right back as a few seconds later Braun earns a corner for the Rojiblancos.
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16th minute- Trujillo with a sloppy foul on Le Toux earns a free kick from about 27 yards out.
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15th Minute – The game is beginning to lose a bit of the luster. The Union are doing a fair job muscling Chivas USA off th ball and preventing them from going forward.
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12th Minute – Chivas starting to put a bit more pressure on the Union. Getting a fair amount of possession but no finish. As I say that Padilla makes a weak shot that Seitz saves easily.
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10th Minute – SAVE THORNTON! The union get a free kick from about 25 yards out, but the effort by Le Toux goes straight into the hands of Thornton.
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8th Minute – MISS! Orozco Fiscal gets a nice shot that ends up going just wide of the net. Great build up but not great finishing there by the US international.
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5th Minute – MISS! Lahoud fires a shot that looks to be going over the head of Seitz, but nearly drops in and forces the Union keeper to make a play. Corner.
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2nd Minute – The union with the early possession. Chivas USA has not sniffed the ball yet. The Union searching for that early goal while the chants of the Chivas USA fan group, the Union Ultras reverberate throughout the stadium.
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1st Minute – And we're off. Philly attacking the left side of your computer screen.
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PREGAME: With a nice crowd on hand and their captain back from his trip to South Africa. I'm going to go with a 1-0 Chivas USA victory. The goal scored by Osael Romero. What are your predictions? If you're following along let me hear from you.
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PREGAME: Clubs are on the field and a nice crowd is on hand. Perhaps for the postgame fireworks "fiesta". Philly in their Gold/Blue/Gold uniforms. I can't say I'm a fan to be honest…
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PREGAME: Jonathan Bornstein will return to the Rojiblancos starting line up as they look to break their six game losing streak. He'll be starting in the midfield along on the wing opposite Salvadoran midfielder Osael Romero who has come on as of late for Chivas USA.
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PREGAME: Here are the Line Ups
PHILADELPHIA UNION
————Mwanga———Le Toux—————
Torres——Fred—–Miglioranzi—-Salinas——-
Harvey———Orozco Fiscal———Califf———Arrieta
———————-Seitz————————–
CHIVAS USA
————Braun———Padilla—————
Bornstein—–Lahoud—–Gavin—-Romero
Jazic———-Umana———-Delgado———-Trujillo
———————-Thornton————————–
I thought the first half was better.
I’m with you on the godawful soccer — hard to watch, particularly in contrast with the World Cup. As a Union fan, though, very happy with a point on the road.
Goth ref is so depressed he can’t summon enough energy to jump to avoid being hit by the ball.
I watched the second half, and maybe it’s the WC, or maybe it’s just that these teams aren’t doing too well, but that was some godawful soccer. No touch, no vision, players unsure of what to do with the ball and not running with commitment. Seriously, there was a ten-minute stretch where the ball was just pinging back and forth with NO purpose whatsoever.
I think that the problem with the uniforms is that unless you’re up really close the blue highlights fade to invisible. The difference in the shirts between a close up and long angle view is amazing.
As for colors, the baby blue and yellow are from the city’s flag (Swedish colors, actually), and I think the team intentionally went away from that. I certainly like the navy blue better than baby blue, but the gold just doesn’t work as a primary color.
I was thinking the same thing. Its the freaking shorts. I love the home kit.
Najar’s goal is one of the best ever in MLS…
I guess the future of Honduran soccer is in good hands, too.
As hideous as the Union kit is, the colors aren’t the worst part. It’s the combination choice of shirt and shorts. With blue shorts that top wouldn’t look as bad. Likewise, if they wore a blue top, the shorts would be OK. Hard to believe that no one realized how ugly this uniform would be. Hopefully, they find a better look, or a totally new color combination next year.
“CHIVAS USA SUB: Ben Zemanski comes in for the invisible Osael Romero. Not a good day for the Salvadoran.”
I’d say not a good week to Salvadoran.
@ Adam Serrano: I was thinking the same thing about those jerseys before I even read your comments… they look horrible. I kinda wish the Union would have adopted the colors the Sons of Ben always wear, the yellow and baby blue. Would have been better than this I think.
I spoke too soon, now Najar and Gavin have goals. Nice.
Apparently Bornstein is a superstar all of a sudden. Strange that he never showed up before; the WC must have done wonders.
Good night for the rookies with Mwanga and Opara both scoring. The future of MLS and US soccer looks bright if we can keeping getting talent like this.
Just tuning into this game. Those PU away uniforms look horrible in HD. And Chivas just ties the game up.