Chivas USA/Tauro running blog

Predictions only get worshipful prophetic credit before kickoff.

Here we go!

Tauro: Dominguez, Rojas, Palmas, Manotas, Moreno, Vega, mclean, Parris, Canales?
Escobar, Aguilar

Chivas USA: Thornton, Bornstein, Suarez, Thomas, Mendoza, Naga, Chiles, Paladine, Flores, Kljestan, Harris

Weird, the broadcast missed kickoff.

1 - Mancilla, the coach of Tuaro, well he looks like he enjoys a beer now and again.
4 - Flores is active early on, but his cross misses Harris.
5 - Tuaro has apparently won more championships in Panama than any other.
6 - GOAL! A weird mix-up in front of the goal, as the cross, popped way over, then a Tauro player dribbled a bit in the box, nutmegged Shavar, and another Tuaro guy, Edwin Aguilar, got a foot on it to poke the ball past Thornton. 1-0 Tauro
9 - Chivas USA corner. Sacha received a short corner, passed to Paladini, who made a hash of the cross - Tauro recover the ball.
11 - Flores with a much better cross, but Kljestan gets beaten to it, just barely, by a defender. Corner. Out for a throw. Flores crosses to Harris - header! Wide.
14 - Kljestan's pass is too far, but Flores fights for it regardless in the box. Gets called for foul.
17 - The announcers applaud CONCACAF for setting up this tournament, saying it's the first step in matching Europe. I choke a little on my iced tea.
19 - Yikes, Flores has been playing well, but he blipped on that play. Bornstein crossed the ball well, and Flores' first touch left the ball about eight feet away from him. He'd have been better off shooting.
21 - Two shots by Tauro are closer to killing fans in the stands than in scoring.
23 - CROSSBAR! Thornton beaten again and only the heavy metal saved him. It was a free kick from distance, but it floated high and Thornton backed up and jumped too late.
26 - Escobar from the edge of the box - barely misses the far post.
27 - Corner - caught by Thornton.
30 - The announcers are seriously harshing on Thomas and his mistakes in this game. He gives up a dangerous foul here, just in front of the arc. FK tips the crossbar - very close.
34 - Midfield muckery. Oh dear. Ball popped out to Harris, thanks to a nice Kljestan pass, and Harris came in alone on the goalkeeper and kicked the ball right into him. "He was alone and he failed horribly," says the announcer. Pretty much.
36 - One announcer puts Harris as the fourth forward on the squad, behind Justin Braun.
38 - Nags brings down a Tauro player. Threatening FK. Hits wall.
39 - Nags from distance, hits downtown. The skyscrapers, at least.
44 - Suarez fouls Canales (how dare he?) and Tauro gets a FK. It's served into the box, but no one gets a shot off. It looked to the announcers that Harris fouled somebody and it just didn't get called.
45 - Flores! Why doesn't he shoot? Ball gets away from him in the box and the clearance hits Paladini in the face, first, then his arm.
Halftime.
Hah, hah - the announcers replay not the flukey goal as the "Key play of the game", but Harri's miss alone against the goalkeeper. Cruel, but funny.
Well, with missed opportunities like that, though, Chivas USA have only themselves to blame at this point, depleted roster or no.
46 - The announcers are shocked that Jim Curtain replaces Suarez. They were sure Preki would get rid of the almost-worthless Thomas (their words). They are less surprised that Alecko Eskandarian comes in for Paladini.
48 - They call Esky Alexander, though.
49 - Esky with a close shot - he took it first touch and impressed the announcers by barely missing the far post.
55 - Tuaro player down and off the field.
59 - Another player down. I'm beginning to suspect it's to gain a bit of rest in the humid and hot weather.
60 - FK for Chivas USA. Kljestan puts it over the bar - couldn't get the dip down.
63 - Chivas USA look like they're running out of steam.
64 - Yellow on Vega for clipping Mendoza.
65 - Vaughn is on.
69 - GOAL! Aguilar picks up a pass and the defense breaks as he moves in on goal. they anticipate a pass and no one steps to him until Thornton comes out - Aguilar puts the ball calmly past him. 2-0 Tauro "The goal that kills," the announcers say.
73 - Corner for Chivas USA, but it's cleared.
75 - Esky from distance. Close, but wide.
76 - Chivas USA corner. Caught by the keep.
79 - Chivas trying hard to get a goal to cut into the differential, but Tauro break on the counter and nearly nick a third goal.
80 - Chivas USA with a FK, but goalkeeper is able to snag it. Now the goalkeeper is wasting time with an injury that the announcers don't believe exists.
83 - Panchito's cross misses the box, his teammates, the goal.
84 - Nurse has not played this game and the announcers don't understand why.
85 - Corner for Chivas USA. "A goal would be a marvelous miracle for the MLS team" It doesn't happen. Corner gets cleared.
88 - Flores telegraphs a pass, gets a corner out of it. It gets cleared for another corner, but Dominguez catches that one.
90 - Aguilar gets the MOTM. His second goal convinced the announcers.
7 minutes of stoppage? Wow.
Sach tries to save a ball on a Chivas USA buildup, but he's tired and it goes out.
Nags gets a yellow for clipping Aguilera.
Final whistle. Pretty horrid game for Chivas USA.