Colorado Rapids at Chivas USA
With Mexico playing Nigeria at noon on Telemundo, it looks like Chivas USA fans stayed home in even greater numbers than usual this morning. Lots of elbow room here at the HDC.
Captain Claudio Suarez returns to the center of the Chivas USA defense after being rested for Thursday's scoreless draw against Dallas, so Jason Hernandez drops to the bench.
Orlando Perez also gets a run out in place of usual full back Jonathan Bornstein, moved into midfield in place of the benched Panchito Mendoza, who has a slight groin twinge, but is available.
With striker Ante Razov out injured, up front is top scorer Maykel Galindo and John Cunliffe, scorer of two goals in the Oct. 6 win over Real Salt Lake.
Mehdi Ballouchy and Pablo Mastroeni are both suspended, so ex-Galaxy defender Ugo Ihemelu moves into central defense and Facundo Erpen moves into midfield.
Signaling the urgency of the game for the Rapids, Terry Cooke is named as a forward, although he will likely play a withdrawn role.
The game is on Prime and Telefutura.
Chivas USA just circulated a press release in the press box saying that Razov is out six weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, the first serious knee injury for the veteran in his career.
Updated: Mendoza was a late scratch from the game completely due to a mild groin strain; Erasmo Solorzano takes his place on the bench.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
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