CARSON, Calif. -- With the MLS roster compliance date coming Monday, Chivas USA's rookies and trialists put on a show against the Ventura Country Fusion Sunday evening at Cougar Stadium on the campus of the College of the Canyons in Valencia, Calif. to ensure it would be a long night of decision-making for head coach Preki and his staff.
Chivas USA knocked off the PDL side 4-0 in a match benefitting the Michael Hoefflin Foundation, which provides financial and emotional support to children and their families facing childhood cancer in Santa Clarita, Calif. and the surrounding area.
"The game was a great exercise for us," said Preki. "It gave us a chance to see a lot of the new and younger players."
Mexican striker Eduardo Lillingston may have made the best case for himself, setting up one goal and assisting on another in only 45 minutes on the field.
"I just want to do my job and help my team," he said after the match.
Before his present trial with Chivas USA, the 31-year-old Lillingston had spent the entirety of his professional career in the Mexican Primera Division with teams such as Atlas and Santos Laguna. Most recently he played for Guadalajaran outfit Tecos UAG, where he scored 15 times in 81 appearances.
The Red-and-White also saw strong performances from Wake Forest draft picks Michael Lahoud and Jamie Franks.
Lahoud enjoyed a solid 45 minutes before being substituted for at halftime. He threaded some nice passes from the right wing, and provided pace and athleticism to compliment the consummate skill of veterans Jesse Marsch and Paolo Nagamura.
New Jersey native Franks controlled the opposite wing, notching an assist in the 77th minute on Justin Braun's goal. It was his second in eight days, the first coming against Swedish side Hammarby IF last Saturday.
Former Chivas USA youth player Chris Cortez threw his name in to the hat with a strong performance that included a goal in the 66th minute. The 20-year-old California native hassled the Ventura County defense all night, forcing Fusion goalkeepers Trevor Stiles and Jordan King into a number of high-flying saves.
"I think the key to our victory was moving the ball quickly," he said after the match. "We compressed them into small spaces, and were able to play one or two-touch soccer."
On the other end of the field, trialists Dan Gargan and Leo Bautista helped provide 90 minutes of stalwart defense in the shutout victory.
Gargan, a Pennsylvania native who has spent time with the Colorado Rapids, has done well in this preseason at establishing himself as a reliable fullback. The Georgetown alumnus spent time with the Red-and-White last season before retiring for personal reasons, but with a string of solid appearances in this year's preseason, the Chivas USA coaching staff will be glad to have him back.
Bautista is an experienced central defender who comes to Chivas USA by way of Venezuelan outfit Caracas FC. With veteran Claudio Suarez's future uncertain (he's still in discussions with the team), he could prove to be a reliable addition to the Red-and-White's back line.
However roster compliance day shakes out, Chivas USA's trialists can be happy about a strong result for the Red-and-White against a talented Ventura County team.
"At no point in the game did we relax. Even when we had a lead, we stayed disciplined and didn't give up on anything," said Preki. "I'm happy."
No comments:
Post a Comment