Galaxy & Chivas USA Gameday

Both games begin at 7:30 p.m., the Chivas USA game at Home Depot Center against the Seattle Sounders on Prime, the Galaxy-San Jose Earthquakes match on FSN. I plan to blog from the Chivas USA game, so join me then.

Galaxy-San Jose Earthquakes Preview

*The Earthquakes are without dangerous striker Darren Huckerby for tonight's game.

*Which is probably just as well since he sounds more interested in Sunday's crucial derby and relegation clash with Ipswich Town against his former team Norwich City. (Full disclosure: so am I).

* Injury update.

Chivas USA-Seattle Sounders Preview

I'd link to some previews of the game from Seattle, but the main conclusion of those I read today was that Chris Eyelander will return from injury and start in goal today and many of you read that here Friday.

*Speaking of re-runs: Here's my preview of the game from Tuesday's column.

*For the three of you out there who remember when Chivas USA Coach Preki was wowing MISL crowds at the Tacoma Dome back in the 1980s (frighteningly, since I was going to the UW at the time, I do) this story is for you.

*Injury update.

*Here's a few left-overs (or expanded comments from those that appeared in the column) from Seattle Coach Sigi Schmid and Chivas USA's Carey Talley on today's game.

-Schmid on the injuries Chivas USA has suffered:

"Sometimes as a coach I always feel it's easier if players are out for a period of time because you sort of find a way to play. If a guy is in for a game, then out for a game, that's much harder because you're always changing your style. But Preki has done a good job -- he knows he's without guys like (Maykel) Galindo and (Ante) Razov and he's had other guys step up like (Eduardo) Lillingston and Atiba Harris and (Justin) Braun before he got hurt so those guys are stepping up and doing the business. They know what they want to do on the field, they're pretty disciplined in terms of their structure and their approach."

-Schmid on the significance of returning to the HDC:

"It was definitely nice last season being able to win the championship in the HDC and Home Depot (Center) is one of the preeminent if not the preeminent soccer stadium in the country, so it's hopefully always going to play a role (in my coaching career). (But) I like to win no matter where we go."

-Talley on Chivas USA's injuries:

"We've gotten such good practice from last year playing with injuries that if half our roster was injured at the beginning of the season we would have taken it in stride in the same way the way we are right now. There's really been no surprises at us at all, we're down a few guys - that's really carried over into this season

"I think that's been a lot easier for us to get over, while most teams might dwell on that and 'say, well we've never really experienced this before' and here we are saying, 'y'know we went through this last season, we've got through it in the preseason, what are we going to do about it? We're dealt these cards, lets get on with it.' I'm really not surprised so much at the position were in ... we've just been able to get on with it, take it in stride."

-Talley on the role coaching has played in the team's success:

"I would just say our coach, Preki, has done a fantastic job in identifying guys, putting them into roles that they would be comfortable with and putting them into a spot where they can succeed. Every team has the same talent level because of the parity in this league. I just think some teams have done a better job at the coaching side of it and putting together a game plan of 'hey, this is what's expected of you game in, game out, here's what's expected of you come Saturday. You do this, you believe in the team concept and we'll get through it.' I think that's where Preki has done such a good job. The guy knows soccer, there's no doubt about it, and how our team needs to operate and he's been able to translate that from being a coach into explaining that to his players."