Stingy Chivas USA hosts leaky Wizards

• by Ridge Mahoney  @ridgemax, Sep 21, 2007

[TV PREVIEW] The Wizards will get an up-close lesson on how to defend and still be dangerous in the attack. They have allowed 39 goals this season. Only the Galaxy has given up more. Chivas USA has conceded just 22 goals in 24 games - second only to Houston in the stingy department - yet have scored 39, one fewer than Kansas City.

CHIVAS USA vs. KANSAS CITY (10-9-6)
Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, HDNet, Direct Kick

Scott Sealy scored twice last week in a wild 3-2 triumph over the Crew that featured 37 shots, 30 fouls, five cautions, and two stoppage-time strikes that rallied Kansas City from a 2-1 deficit.

Sealy's sharp form may relieve pressure on top scorer Eddie Johnson (15 goals) as teams clamp down on him in the final weeks of the season.

Maykel Galindo (12) and Ante Razov (nine) lead Chivas USA in scoring, yet the goals are being spread around. In a 3-0 thrashing of the Galaxy Sept. 13, Razov notched his ninth, but the other goals came from Francisco Mendoza (his second) and Laurent Merlin (his first).

By tying Colorado, 1-1, last Sunday, Chivas USA ran its unbeaten streak to seven games, during which it has shut out five opponents and conceded just three goals despite coach Preki rotating defenders Alex Zotinca, Lawson Vaughn, Claudio Suarez, Jason Hernandez, Orlando Perez and Shavar Thomas in and out of the lineup.

Its last loss came July 29 at Arrowhead Stadium, 3-2, despite Jonathan Bornstein and John Cunliffe netting their first goals of the season. Davy Arnaud scored one of Kansas City's goals in that game; he hasn't netted since.

Kansas City rookie midfielder Kurt Morsink is suspended (accumulated cautions) and Sasha Victorine is questionable because of a leg contusion.