MLS leaves favorable impression

Plenty of seats were empty Friday night at chilly Sam Boyd Stadium. But organizers of the Las Vegas ProSoccer Challenge saw enough warm bodies to warrant giving Major League Soccer another shot come 2014.

The Colorado Rapids and Chivas USA treated the announced crowd of 8,258 to some brilliant moments of soccer and a lot more that weren’t so brilliant. But preseason in any sport is the time to work out the kinks. And the attendance was good enough for the league to return to Las Vegas after Chivas posted a 3-0 win.

“I think it’s great,” said Dan Lyle, executive vice president of USA Sevens Rugby, which promoted the game. “We got a good response on short notice, and we think we can make it better over time.

“The teams and the teams’ management are excited to be here, and they want to come back.”

Lyle is hoping to stage an MLS doubleheader in 2014. Ultimately, he’d like to have an MLS preseason kickoff featuring as many as eight MLS teams playing over the course of a weekend.

“(MLS) doesn’t have that big event to start the season,” Lyle said. “We’d like to have a big weekend in Las Vegas and showcase the teams and the league and get everyone excited.”

Though neither team was in midseason form Friday, the effort was there. Both teams went through extensive changes this offseason, each adding 12 new players. Chivas also changed coaches, bringing in Jose Luis Sandra Sola to try to change the team’s fortunes after it missed the playoffs the past three years.

Known throughout soccer as “El Chelis,” Sandra Sola is trying to get his team to play a more Latin style with quick ball movement and flair. On Friday, the intent was there even if the execution wasn’t. But with so many new faces trying to learn how to work together, it was inevitable that there would be miscues aplenty.

But when Chivas managed to connect the dots, good things happened. In the third minute, Eric Avila outran the defense to a loose ball on the right side, dribbled in and beat Colorado goalkeeper Steward Ceus to open the scoring.

“When we scored early, we were able to change the complexion of the game,” Sandra Sola said. “This team is a group of fighters, and when we fight, we play good soccer.”

The night’s sweetest play came in the 58th minute. Chivas had gone up 2-0 three minutes earlier on Juan Agudelo’s penalty kick after Ceus had fouled Miller Bolanos in the penalty box. After the Rapids failed to clear the area, Avila crossed the ball to Agudelo, who flicked it on to Jose Correa in front of the Rapids’ goal. Correa, who had just come on as replacement, used his right heel to direct the ball past Ceus and put Chivas up 3-0.

The Rapids contributed their share of sloppiness over 90 minutes, failing to connect on plays even while unmarked. Yet Colorado had several good chances, particularly forward Deshorn Brown. But Brown was thwarted twice in a two-minute span midway through the opening half as he hit the right post after beating Chivas goalie Daniel Kennedy and then had Kennedy parry his shot over the crossbar from close range.

Rapids coach Oscar Pareja said his team needs to raise its level of play as it points toward its March 2 regular-season opener at FC Dallas.

“We’re not happy,” Pareja said after the Rapids fell to 2-3 in the preseason. “We were the much better team the majority of the game, but you have to put the ball in the net.”

Kennedy said while it was only preseason, Friday’s win was important for Chivas (5-0-1).

“We’re a new group, and we’re trying to build something,” Kennedy said. “A win like this helps our confidence, and I thought we looked great.”

Kennedy said he could see the day when Las Vegas has its own MLS team.

“It would definitely work,” he said. “There was a lot of energy in the stadium, and we had a lot of our fans there. I saw a lot of red and white, and it was great.”

Said Sandra Sola: “The people of Las Vegas were very good to us. I’d like to see us get an invitation to play in Las Vegas every month. But I’ll settle for every year.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.