Chivas USA battled on Friday night to a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo in a preseason scrimmage played in the Main Stadium at The Home Depot Center. It was the Red-and-White’s final tune-up before next Saturday’s season opener against the Colorado Rapids, and goals from Atiba Harris and Shavar Thomas earned the tie for Chivas USA.
The Red-and-White dominated the first half of the match, with the forward pairing of Justin Braun and Eduardo Lillingston, the team’s most recent addition, forcing Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad into several good saves. Chivas USA finally broke through just before halftime, when Braun carried the ball into the final third before passing to right midfielder Atiba Harris, who slotted a low, left-footed shot to the far post to give the Red-and-White the 1-0 lead.
The Dynamo tied the match less than a minute after halftime, when substitute Chris Wondolowski hit what looked to be a cross before it floated into the net over goalkeeper Zach Thornton. The Red-and-White regained the lead in the 63rd minute when Shavar Thomas headed in a Carey Talley corner kick. Houston evened the match a second time in minute 76 when Brad Davis hammered in a free kick from 20 yards after a Thomas foul just outside the box.
Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark was sent off in the 77th minute for a foul on Paulo Nagamura that cleared both benches. Matters calmed quickly and both coaches agreed to allow a substitution, with Corey Ashe entering the match for Clark in the 80th minute. With the draw, Chivas USA finishes with a preseason record of 4-3-2 (W-L-T); a full preseason schedule for the team, as well as lineups and statistics from today’s match, can be found below.
Chivas USA kicks off its fifth campaign in Major League Soccer when it hosts the Colorado Rapids in an Opening Day match on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. For more information on Chivas USA season tickets, as well as the unbeatable All-Star five-game pack (starting at just $50), please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.
PHOTOS: Juan Miranda/Chivas USA
