It would have been easy for Eric Avila to have a bit of a stinker on Thursday in Texas. Coming off a two-week trial with Chivas de Guadalara that apparently didn’t go as well as it could have (the team sent Avila back, after all) and considering the mental drain and travel strain of it all, he could surely be handed a mulligan for this one.
But Avila helped make Chivas the better team in Texas after about 10 good minutes for the home team.
With Carlos Bocanegra and perhaps other name reinforcements en route, with Avila now back home in Southern California, is there life in the Goats of 2013 after all?
Avila was a lively presence on the right side, adding some attacking pressure and drive down his wing – just enough to keep Jair Benitez a little more honest in his positioning – while also aiding in possession. Having a tough guy like recently acquired Gabriel Farfan to play inside (in a 4-2-3-1) helps keep a little bit of the defensive stress off Avila as well.
One shot from Avila made FC Dallas goalkeeper Raul Fernandez work, and one mazy dribble into the penalty area created all kinds of defensive issues for the home team.
What Chivas USA manager José Luis “Guero” Real told MLSSoccer.com about Avila’s night in Texas against his original MLS team:
“Avila is a very important player for whichever team he plays for. We had him in very good form as he normally is, but at the end of the match he was drained. He’s a great player who helped us and will continue to help us. [Thursday night] he had enough for 70 minutes, but he’s coming off a trip and recess, so he got tired.”
