Preki not faulting injuries for defeat

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Injuries have ravaged Chivas USA for most of the season. The team remains without multiple key cogs, including Jesse Marsch and Maykel Galindo. Claudio Suarez played only the final 10 minutes on Thursday night.

But injuries weren't the only thing tearing apart Preki's team as the New England Revolution ravaged it in the second half of Thursday night's 4-0 loss at Gillette Stadium.

"Injuries or no injuries, we could have been better than what we showed during the second half, especially after we gave up the first goal," Preki said. "I felt that too many guys put their heads down and we lost a lot of confidence."

Confidence had been high after the Revs barraged Chivas USA in the opening stages but couldn't convert. Chances went begging and the visitors gradually settled into the game.

Ante Razov had two attempts towards goal, one that drew a diving save out of Matt Reis.

"Before that [first Revolution goal], we should have been a goal up coming into the second half," Preki said. "We had a couple of good looks at the goal. We don't score."

The best chance of the game for the visitors fell to Jim Curtin three minutes after the break during the middle of a Chivas USA surge. A free kick played Curtin in unmarked, but the towering defender couldn't connect with Reis stranded.

"If Jimmy Curtin just touches the ball on a free kick, it's a goal," Preki said. "Matt Reis doesn't know anything about the ball and it hits him in the leg. Sometimes, you get a lucky break and sometimes you get an unlucky break."

Curtin's chance, combined with an Atiba Harris header cleared off the line by Michael Parkhurst, consolidated Chivas USA's emergence out of the lockerroom.

But then the sucker punch happened when Steve Ralston slipped a little ball square to Taylor Twellman and the Revs striker punched home from close range to give New England the lead.

"I thought we came out pretty decent in the second half," Preki said. "The way we gave up that goal is really disappointing. We'll try to get it together for next week."

Ralston had hit a low cross past the front post. Paulo Nagamura looked liked he could have cleared the ball and instead let it pass him. Meanwhile, Twellman had slipped in between Nagamura and Talley to knock home the simple cross.

"I thought it was very poor play on our side because we had the numbers at the back," Preki said. "We just didn't deal with the situation in the right way as a unit."

The goal inevitably forced Chivas to open up spaces in the second half in search of the goal. The extra space invited the Revolution forward, with an in-form Ralston prone to exploiting the space.

Three goals in the final six minutes condemned Preki's team to a loss that didn't necessarily reflect the run of play. The Chivas USA coach didn't appear bothered that his team conceded the late goals.

"After [the goal], it was an uphill battle," Preki said. "We were trying to do things and make plays, but we opened ourselves at the back. Losing 1-0 or 4-0 means the same thing."