Chivas USA Season Recap
Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein may soon be suiting up in Europe. (Getty Images)
Expectations were high for the red-and-white this year after the club finished last year's campaign in the top three in the Western Conference standings for a third year in a row. A notable accomplishment considering the frequency and proliferation of injuries the club sustained throughout the year. The offseason provided a time for healing and making adjustments that seemed to quickly be paying off once the 2009 season got underway.
Chivas USA seemed invincible out of the gate. A rejuvenated Zach Thornton coupled with a stingy defense powered them to a commanding lead in the overall league standings with only a third of the season behind them. Reaching the apex, however, proved to be a source of frustration. Once there, the team's offense stalled and they struggled to improve their standing. Breaks that earlier in the year were going the way of Chivas USA were now in short supply. Then Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic struggled to explain the team's inability to produce on the offensive side, but spirits remained high despite the rest of the league beginning to reel them in.
It would not get any easier as the season entered the summer months. Continuity would be difficult to achieve during the middle third of the season due in part to participation in the SuperLiga tournament. The team struggled to build the necessary momentum to keep pace with conference foes and gradually fell in the standings. As points became scarcer, criticism of midfielder Sacha Kljestan took an inexplicable turn upwards.
While Kljestan seemed to lack some of the dynamism observers had come to know last year, his contributions on the field were on par with the earlier phase of the campaign in which the team had rocketed to first place overall. Certainly more was expected of him this year, but some of the criticism seemed unwarranted. The team had earlier in the year been rather successful without significant contributions from Kljestan, yet when the team hit a rough patch, some quickly wanted to blame the downturn on his on field performance. In reality, his performance was no different during that span of time than when they were winning.
Mounting injuries (again) compounded the offensive struggles through the middle third of the season and the club's playoff prospects began to look less clear. However, Preki's troops would rally through the final third of the season to position themselves within striking distance of the Supporters' Shield and Western Conference Title. Despite their efforts, they were unable to reignite the offense and leverage the games in hand that had come by way of the SuperLiga participation and were unable to claim either prize.
A playoff spot, however, was secured and setup the first ever SuperClasico series versus the Galaxy. Chivas USA performed well, nearly taking the win in the first leg, but eventually were eliminated via a 1 - 0 loss in the second leg. Thus, for a fourth consecutive season, high hopes at the start were squashed in the first round of the playoffs.
It seemed almost a given that Preki would either voluntarily surrender his position or be relieved of his duties given he was at the helm for the last three years that yielded the same playoff result. Days after the red-and-white season ended, Preki and Chivas USA parted ways on mutual agreement. Preki has since moved on to become Head Coach of Toronto FC, while the red-and-whites continue to search for a suitable replacement.
Finding that person will be a difficult task. While some fans and other observers felt it was time for a change in leadership, there are important traits Preki brought to the club which helped them become a team that consistently made the playoffs. First, Preki demands the best from his players and will not settle for anything less. On a related note, he is not easily impressed and at the same time is one to reward hard work -- just ask Michael Lahoud and Jorge Flores. Ultimately these traits were not sufficient to carry the team deeper into the playoffs, but their absence in their next coach may spell trouble.
The rumor mill has already started churning out names of potential replacements, including Martin Vazquez and even Steve Sampson, but nothing has yet been made official. With the coaching change will come a number of questions: What will happen to promising youngsters like Gerson Mayen, Chukwudi Chijindu and Cesar Zamora? Will there still be a role for Mariano Trujillo and Eduardo Lillingston? Where does 'keeper Dan Kennedy fall into the mix next year (assuming he is healthy), given Thornton's Goalkeeper of the Year performance this year? Preki was a big fan of Bojan Stepanovic, will he make a move for him to get him out to Toronto?
There are also a few additional questions to bear in mind: Is Jesse Marsch coming back? Will Jonathan Bornstein move to Europe next year? Does a chance at a World Cup appearance serve as a catalyst for Kljestan's performance and possibly a move to Europe?
Chivas USA has a lot of questions to answer. Stay tuned.