Final: Toronto at Chivas USA
Chivas USA 2 Toronto 0
A scrappy little shutout win that at times wasn't necessarily pretty, but did the trick going into next weekend's SuperClasico against the Galaxy (Chivas USA also travels to Real Salt Lake Wednesday).
Sacha Kljestan had his first two goals of the season and it should have been more for Chivas USA - substitute Paulo Nagamura should have scored with only the goalkeeper to beat about four minutes from time.
Chivas USA were helped by Toronto repeatedly squandering scoring opportunities - most notably Adrian Serioux whiffing on the ball in the second half with the goalmouth yawning before him, for instance.
Striker Maicon Santos was impressive on his debut, although he left the game in the 65th minute suffering from cramps.
Attendance: 15,165
More later.
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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.
Actually watched most of this game after the Galaxy debacle in DC. Maicon had a very good outing. Padilla was okay too. They should have put 5 or 6 past the Canucks had they trusted their teammates and set them up for easier chances on goal just like Maicon did on Sacha's 2nd goal. Still, they don't bother me too much - LA will handle them easy in the next game.
Nick replies: The Galaxy game was a "debacle"? How so? (I missed the first half and didn't see them do much in the second 45 either, although since I was at a bar I wasn't giving it my full attention).
Do you know if Santos' injury were simply cramps or is it something more serious?
Nick replies: To Preki's relief it was just cramps. Preki was pretty funny at the news conference: he said he was worried about a guy who plays his first game for you and goes down injured. Preki has had quite enough of these numerous injuries over the past couple of seasons.
Thank God. Sacha K surprised me today. Maybe he has decided to stop with the whole "superstar" attitude and actually play the game. I guess he really wanted to be called up by BB for WCQ. Make him work for it.