LAST MATCH • The Red-and-White put the game away with two goals in a seven-minute span. Ante Razov took the ball in the area and laid it off to an overlapping Sacha Kljestan, who stroked home a low shot from the corner of the goal area for his fifth goal of the season (26). • Then in the 32nd minute, Razov again played provider, taking a pass from Francisco Mendoza on the left flank and driving in a low cross to the near post, where Justin Braun came sliding in to stab it home first-time. • Chivas were left a man down just before halftime when Paulo Nagamura was sent off for a second bookable offense. But it was the home side that had the best of the late chances. • Chivas USA head coach Preki made four changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Real Salt Lake the weekend before. Brad Guzan was back from international duty and came in between the posts for Dan Kennedy, and Claudio Suarez came back into central defense in place of Jim Curtin. Raphael Wicky made his first MLS start, coming in for Atiba Harris, and Justin Braun made his return to the lineup, in place of Jonathan Bornstein. • Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Brad Guzan - Carey Talley, Bobby Burling, Claudio Suarez, Francisco Mendoza - Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura, Raphael Wicky (Jonathan Bornstein 46) - Justin Braun (Jorge Flores 78), Ante Razov (Atiba Harris 66). Substitutes Not Used: Jim Curtin, Anthony Hamilton, Dan Kennedy, Shavar Thomas • "Obviously, a very good result for us, and I thought for the most part of the game we were pretty good," Preki said. "First 10-12 minutes I thought we weren't sharp in the beginning, we gave up a chance or two but also we had a chance or two as well. After that I thought we were pretty decent, we were pretty good with the ball, we were moving the ball pretty good, we created some chances and I just thought we were going to score. Once we scored, the second came." TEAM NEWS • "The guys did good tonight. We shut down their game," goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. "Guys like Rolfie, Justin (Mapp), Blanco, Chad Barrett -- those guys are dangerous guys, especially when you've got a guy like Blanco pulling the strings for your team. You know they're going to create chances and we did a good job of shutting that down." • Against Real Salt Lake, rookie Justin Braun had suffered through a number of missed opportunities, coming on as a halftime sub in the 1-0 loss. But put back into the starting lineup, he scored the second goal against Chicago, his second of the season, and first scored by a Chivas forward since May 11. • "After the game I just kind of threw it away. It happens," Braun said. "A lot of the older guys told me to not worry about it, to just keep moving, keep playing my game so I just kind of came in today with that completely out of my mind and just tried to do my best to help my team get the three points." • After Nagamura was sent off just before halftime, Preki didn't significantly alter his team's shape, still keeping on two forwards in Razov and Braun as well as the same back four. Jonathan Bornstein came in for his second consecutive outing after missing five games to injury. The system didn't really change until Jorge Flores came on as a late substitute. • "After the second goal I thought we kind of slowed down a little bit. Which is, a lot of times, a natural thing, because you are now 2-0 up and they are pushing a couple of guys forward and now we've got to deal with quite a few things. And then the red card came, so that was just a few seconds before halftime," Preki said. "So we have to go in our locker room, and we had a good game plan of how we're going to play in the second half, and I thought everything we asked of them at halftime they came on the field and executed pretty good. • The best chances at the end came from Chivas. "We just wanted to stay compact, not really open up and give them any chances," Braun said. "We still wanted to press a little bit, and take our opportunities forward, but we just didn't want to give anything up." NEW YORK RED BULLS
Chivas USA
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA put an end to their brief two-game losing skid, defeating the Chicago Fire 2-0 at The Home Depot Center on MLS Primetime Thursday. Chivas enter the week with 17 points from 13 matches, sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, a point behind the Houston Dynamo and two behind Real Salt Lake.
• Chivas USA were coming off back-to-back 1-0 losses after winning three games on the trot, while the Fire had lost consecutive contests after reeling off four wins in five outings.
• Claudio Suarez made his return to the Chivas lineup a majestic one, his first game since May 3. While the Fire outshot Chivas 10-8, Chicago winger Chris Rolfe had his side's only shot on goal.
The New York Red Bulls put a halt to their brief two-game winless skid, getting the only goal of the game for a victory against FC Dallas on Saturday evening at Giants Stadium. The Red Bulls have 19 points from 13 matches, sitting in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, level with the Chicago Fire and D.C. United, two points behind Toronto FC.