Final: Chivas USA 0 New York Red Bulls 0

Joel Lindpere of the New York Red Bulls and Chivas USA’s Ben Zemanski battle for the ball Saturday at Home Depot Center (Photo by Getty Images).

You know a game has lacked spark when the biggest drama of the night is the referee consulting with the assistant referee over whether to award New York Chivas USA a penalty for what appeared a possible handball.

He didn’t in the end though.

Thierry Henry sent a shot skittering past the far post seconds after that.

Chivas USA now have just one win in their last seven games, but are unbeaten in two. New York have one win in their last seven games, too.

Guess we should have seen this one coming.

Chivas USA ended the game without being credited with a shot on target.

More later.

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Total LA Carmageddon soccer attendance tonight: 71,049. That’s 56,211 at the Coliseum to see Real Madrid destroy the Galaxy 4-1 and 14,838 for this scoreless draw (with about five minutes left). Hey, at least they had goals at the Coliseum.

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Chivas replaced Victor Estupinan with Chris Cortez in the 68th minute.

Chivas USA may not have had much in the way of offense, but Thierry Henry hasn’t looked particularly happy with the service he’s been getting in this game either. Her’s spent an inordinate amount of time gesturing in frustration to his teammates and throwing his hands up in the air.

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Well, Chivas improved offensively as the half progressed, but it was still not a particularly impressive showing from the home team.

Justin Braun managed to get on the end of a Simon Elliott free kick cum cross as the half came to a close.

In retrospect the Red Bulls should have done more with a half they largely dominated, but were only given credit for one shot on target (Chivas had none).

Chivas Coach Robin Fraser will want to see a lot more from his team in the second half, his early yanking of the mistake-prone Lahoud telegraphing his unhappiness.

At least the game is hanging in the balance – Real Madrid are walloping the Galaxy 4-0 with about 25 minutes left up the road in the Coliseum.

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Flores just had Chivas USA’s best (only?) chance of the night came in the 38th minute, Justin Braun threading the ball through a defense caught square and Jorge Flores blasting a shot off the bar from 18 yards out.

Second later Mariano Trujillo replaced an out of sorts Michael Lahoud in defense for Chivas USA.

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Dan Kennedy is keeping an impotent Chivas USA in this one making a second huge save on the night from a 32nd minute blast by Jan Gunnar Stol from about 20 yards out. Kennedy pushed the cracking shot onto the crossbar after Stoll had latched onto a poor clearance by Simon Elliott.

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I don’t know what’s more annoying: the fact that Chivas USA have rarely ventured out of their half and had no meaningful offensive impact or the annoying droning from the free plastic horns they handed out tonight.

Joel Lindpere just had the best chance of the night in the 22nd minute, collecting a pass from Teemu Taino from a midfield throw-in and forcing Dan Kennedy to make a save to prevent the ball squeezing in at the near post.

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Some sloppy passing from Chivas USA in these early stages; we’re in the 16th minute. Real Madrid have gone 1-0 against the Galaxy, incidentally, Callejon getting the goal on the half hour mark.

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Happy Carmageddon weekend from Home Depot Center where one press box colleague described the freeway traffic on the way to the game as being about as busy as it is at 3 a.m.

I heard of no problems for Galaxy fans on the Harbor (110) Freeway heading to the friendly against Real Madrid at the Coliseum that just kicked off, too, although I wasn’t taking any chances, which is one reason I’m at the HDC (although a game that actually means something is far preferable to watching Kaka et al wander around for 45 minutes).

Chivas USA Coach Robin Fraser has made just two changes to the starting lineup that disappointingly drew 1-1 with Sporting Kansas City last weekend. (Three times in the last five games Chivas USA has allowed a goal after the 80th minute that cost them points and they won’t want to that again to a team they beat in New York 3-2 back in May behind a Justin Braun hat trick).

Jorge Flores replaces a benched Blair Gavin in midfield and Victor Estupinan is favored over Marco Mondaini, who is also available as a sub.

Here’s the Chivas USA lineup: Dan Kennedy-Michael Lahoud, Michael Umana, Heath Pearce, Zarek Valentin-Ben Zemanski, Simon Elliott, Nick LaBrocca, Jorge Flores-Justin Braun

Red Bull Coach Hans Backe starts new signing Frank Rost in goal as expected in an effort to bring stability to a New York back four that has leaked five goals in the last two games, including four to Chicago Tuesday in a U.S. Open Cup blowout.

Rafa Marquez is still missing due to a hamstring strain.

Red Bulls: Frank Rost-Jan Gunnar Solli, Carlos Mendes, Tim Ream, Roy Miller-Dan Richards, Dax McCarty, Teemu Tainio, Joel Lindpere-Juan Agudelo, Thierry Henry

John Rooney, Wayne’s brother, is on the bench.

The game is on Galavision and Prime.

Refresh this post for updates.