Houston Dynamo-Chivas USA Post-game

The story of the night: Dynamo striker Nate Jaqua and Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy battle
i-7a88350055fbfe8cebb379574f80d282-TS26-Chivas-Houston-sh-328.JPGPhoto by Sean Hiller

Last year Chivas USA exited the playoffs early because they were unable to replace Maykel Galindo and Ante Razov up front; this year they will be without goalkeeping revelation Dan Kennedy after he received a unforgiving red card in the 1-1 draw Saturday with Houston.

Game story.

Highlights:

Dynamo Coach Dominic Kinnear on why he remonstrated with the fourth official after the penalty call:

I didn’t want to see the guy get sent off that was it. I thought the Kennedy guy was trying to play the ball. … I know what the rule is – you don’t want to see a guy miss his first playoff game.

But he thought it was a PK:

“I saw a guy breaking through and then kind of knocked it by him and he kind of blocked his path and ran into him. They both stumbled. I think it was a collision. I just don’t think he took him down. … I thought it was a penalty for sure.”

Former Galaxy striker Nate Jaqua sounded less sure:

“He got me very, very minor. … It was a harsh PK.”

Jim Curtin on his goal:

“Cary put a hard ball in behind the defense I know any time that happens it’s tough to handle and it can bounce off anybody. I think it hit Dynamo goalkeeper Pat) Onstad and then somebody else it deflected off of and then there was just kind of a race to it between me and (Wade) Barrett – he may actually have got their first, but I kind of slid it in. it was kind of an ugly goal, but it gets the job done, I guess.”

On making a statement:

“Both of us wanted to come out and show each other, because there”s a good chance we’re going to meet in the playoffs.”

Brian Mullan and Shavar Thomas battle for the balli-877f11d207e6e87a258846e932d5e78b-TS26-Chivas-Houston-sh-243.JPGPhoto by Sean Hiller

Preki on the referee making the PK call: “I thought he spoilt the game. … It’s disappointing that in a game that doesn’t basically mean anything, but three points and a little bit of prestige that we get these kinds of things. He told the guys (Kennedy) was the last man. Watching the replay if that was a contact, it was a very minor contact. … even if the referee decides to call a penalty that’s not a red card. i disagree with the call.”

Phil Collin had more from Jesse Marsch on the PK/red card:

“He couldn’t say anything. He tried backpedaling the whole time and then saying he had to give the red and his linesman was even trying to flag him over and say you know I don’t know what he wanted to say to him. I suspect it was to probably that shouldn’t have been a red but he already gave a red. He already made a horrible, horrible mistake. That is a ridiculous mistake that no professional referee should ever make. I mean, it’s so disappointing that for the second year in a row we’ve got to deal with this.

“Again, I’m embarrassed, it’s ridiculous and now we’ve got to go into the playoffs without one of our key guys.

“Listen. It was a breakaway and Nate Jaqua dribbled around him and literally – I played with Nate and Nate starts stumbling like he does often times. And if a referee understands anything about players in the league, he understands that Nate Jaqua is clumsy. (laughs) That’s the bottom line. He’s clumsy. And he started falling, falling and then he just fell down and he could have stayed up and the referee just bailed him out, bailed their team out, sends our goalie off the field off for the playoffs. It’s a joke, it’s embarrassing. He should be done for the year, done for the year with a play like that.”

Phil also caught up with a crestfallen Dan Kennedy:

“He came in one on one and in those situations you try not to over commit and you try to make it hard on them. He decided to dribble me. Really, I thought I did a good job closing him down. He touched it wide to try to touch it around me. I mean his touch was really far out wide. And I did my best to get out of the way and turn and run with him. There is such minimal contact for even a penalty to be called in my mind.

“I was in disbelief that I even heard a whistle.

“For me I’m just so disappointed and I’m disheartened. We’ve done a really good job as a team to get into the playoffs and I’ve really been looking forward to that and I feel it’s been stripped away from me.

“In moments like this you try to accept that some things just happen for a reason and got to move on. I’m gutted.”

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