Columnist Nick Green has written 100 Percent Soccer
since 2005. 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.
Married to a long-suffering soccer widow, he has a cat
named Pele.Kansas City Wizards 0 Chivas USA 0 (Half Time)
A frustrating first 45 minutes for Chivas USA, which had the better of the possession and the attacking chances, but couldn't find a way to tie up the series.
Chivas USA had 10 shots to the Wizards' 4 and with half those chances on target should have been a goal or two up at the half
Ramon Nunez, in only his third start of the season, was posing Kansas City's defense problems and forced a save from Wizard goalkeeper Kevin Hartman in the 25th minute. That was almost immediately followed by a long-range scorcher from Paulo Nagamura that required another good save from Hartman.
A Nunez shot in the 28th minute was blocked by Jack Jewsbury's elbow in the penalty box, but referee Mark Geiger ruled the ball had hit the defender's arm rather than the other way around.
Midfielder Sacha Kljestan had two chances in stoppage time. He was held on the first by Jewsbury and couldn't get a shot off, while the second went wide.
Chivas USA may yet rue not making more of its opportunities at the end of this game.