Chivatown Post: Seeing Red Edition

Here at Chivas USA, fans and players are seeing red. Fans are seeing red because of a series of disappointing performances, in which leads have been blown, and worse, players have thrown away games due to getting red carded.

Chivas lead the league in accumulated red cards (7), but the stats still count Joaquin Velazquez's red card against the Galaxy months back. That card was rescinded but not struck from the records. It should've been. There have been other red card calls against Chivas throughout the season that were just as wrong as Velazquez's.

I can't help but say that something is up leaguewide involving referees. All it takes is a close call for Chivas to not get the benefit of the doubt, and warning: this is likely something they will have to deal with for the rest of the season.

The two red cards against Chivas on Sunday were merited. MLS didn't buy Tristan Bowen's excuse that he didn't mean to spit at a player. According to MLS, Chivas "spit and stomped their way to a draw." To be fair, Simon Borg, rightly indicated that the ref in that match failed to call a penalty kick for the foul on Cubo Torres in the box. It was clear.

So what gives? There is a double standard when any team facing Chivas gets the benefit of the doubt when it comes to close calls. What's worse is that whatever team facing Chivas gets off even when fouls are obvious and not even close.

Am I wrong? Don't believe me when I trash the quality of MLS refs? Ok, take it from Bruce Arena then.

If it's not an MLS ref directly affecting Chivas on the field, it's one of their hot-headed players. Is it time for players like Gabriel Farfan and Tristan Bowen to be shown the door? What goes on in their minds? That they're frustrated with the season overall is understood but to displace anger and hinder your own team and throw away remaining points this season is completely unacceptable, even during these extremely difficult times. They act as if there is nothing left to play for. With any playoff hope quickly slipping away at the very least all players should demonstrate dignity and class, if at all possible. If not, the sooner they're permanently gone, the better.

Beyond Chivatown and throughout the Chivas Nation, CD Guadalajara coach Benjamin Galindo was rumored to be shown the door after Chivas’ 1-1-2 start in Liga Bancomer. Guadalajara-based writer Tom Marshall opines that Chivas just aren’t good enough at present.

Ex-Chiva Carlos Vela again is not called for another Mexican national team match, this time for today's friendly against Ivory Coast. Javier Hernandez will also miss due to a hamstring injury, leaving El Tri with only one Guadalajara player, Marco Fabian. Long gone are the days of Ricardo La Volpe's Tri, which was comprised of five or six Guadalajara starters. Two ex-Chivas, however, Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Salcido, were called.

In a not-so-surprising move, the Argentine-born duo of Damian Alvarez and Christian Gimenez, who last played together at Pachuca where they won a Copa Sudamericana and a North American Superliga, were called to Mexico's match against Ivory Coast. ESPN's Andrea Canales opines that El Tri coach Jose "Chepo" de la Torre called the Argentines out of desperation and that he may only end up dragging them down with him, depending on immediate results.

In the U.S., the Chicago Fire signed ex Xolos de Tijuana and Uruguayan national team player Arevalo Rios.

CONCACAF World Cup qualifying resumes September 6 with Honduras at Mexico, United States at Costa Rica and Jamaica at Panama.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!