Despite having already locked up a playoff spot the side from the Home Depot Center have 3 very important matches to play over the next 10 days. Just this past weekend Preki’s side picked up 3 huge points away to Real Salt Lake thanks to a 3-2 victory. John Cunliffe, who had not started a match in over 3 months due to injury, provided 2 goals while filling in for the suspended Maykel Galindo. With the win Chivas now have 51 points from 27 matches and sit 3 points ahead of the defending champions Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference. More importantly, Preki’s club also has a match in hand on Houston. If they can do well and hold on to their top position in the West over the next 2 weeks, it would guarantee the current leaders the home field advantage in the return leg of each of the first two rounds of the playoffs.

This will be the club’s second consecutive post season appearance and the importance of having the home field advantage in the MLS playoffs cannot be over stated in the case of Chivas USA. This season they have compiled an unbeaten record at home which consists of 10 wins and 3 draws over 13 matches. Those numbers however, tell only half the story as Chivas have outscored the opposition 27 to 6 over those 13 matches. In addition to the excellent offensive production of over 2 goals a match, they have also posted an impressive 8 shutouts over that span. With a track record such as theirs, no visiting club can feel good about their chances if they are faced with the prospects of having to not only score a goal but actually win a playoff match away to the Red and White.

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