CARSON, Calif. - Lifeless. No energy. No fight. Those were terms Chivas USA players used to describe themselves in the early part of the season. Now they have given way to more comfortable and familiar phrases.
After the Red-and-White beat Columbus 2-0 on Saturday, players suddenly have a newfound belief in themselves and each other.
"Anytime you get three results in a row, you start to believe in everything," Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan said. "We're very confident in our team right now, very confident in our coach and who he is going to put on the field. When we go out there and fight for each other, nothing bad is going to happen."
Following a 1-4-2 start in which seemingly little went right, Chivas USA pieced together a come-from-behind 3-1 victory against D.C. United. Then, the team went to Colorado and beat the Rapids 2-1. Now, the club sits on a three-game win streak and has evened its record at 4-4-2.
All it took, coach Preki said, was a little confidence and some elbow grease.
"The group works really, really hard in the training ground. The things we ask as a coaching staff, they are delivering," Preki said. "We are working really hard for each other, and when you do all those things I always say good things will happen to you."
At the start of the season, injuries hampered Chivas USA. Returning starters from last year as well as offseason acquisitions have been limited or kept off the field entirely because of injury and their collective absences took time to overcome.
Young players stepped in and other players shuffled around from their familiar spots to compensate. It has taken time for the team to find some stability -- the club had not used identical consecutive starting lineups this season before Saturday -- but now that the club has a semblance of consistency, players are exerting more effort with each passing game.
"We've put a lot into it more than anything else," Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch said. "We were dissatisfied early on where when we weren't putting much energy and life into the game, it was just stalled constantly. Now you are seeing guys with a little more energy, a little more life, a little more fight in them -- winning more balls, tackles, 50-50s, head balls, all that kind of stuff. It's not necessarily been the pretty soccer; it's been the scrappy plays that led to some good soccer that has allowed us to get better."
Now as Chivas USA head to New York, the club actually has an opportunity to set a team record. With a win, Chivas USA would have won four games in a row and would set a new record for consecutive victories. The Red-and-White won three consecutive games on two different occasions in the 2007 season but never before has the club won four straight games.
And though the club might not have all of the injured players back and available for selection but injuries are not slowing the club down much anymore.
"The group is working extremely hard for each other," Preki said. "The mentality of the group is incredibly good right now."
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