Up next for Chivas USA: Saturday vs. D.C. United

VS. D.C. UNITED

Time: 8.

On the air: TV: FSC, FSE; Radio: 690.

Where: Home Depot Center.

Records: Chivas USA 7-1-1, D.C. United 3-1-5.

Record vs. D.C. United (2008): 2-0.

Update: Tonight’s game pits a Chivas defense that has six shutouts and has given up a league-low three goals against a D.C. United offense that leads Major League Soccer with 15 goals, including four by Luciano Emilio, the league’s top scorer in 2007. Chivas USA leads the Western Conference and is unbeaten in five home games this year, and Eastern Conference leader D.C. United is unbeaten in its last five matches. Chivas goalkeeper Zach Thornton has moved into third place on the league’s all-time shutout list with 64, one behind San Jose’s Joe Cannon and 16 behind Kansas City’s Kevin Hartman. Thornton has not given up a goal in 324 minutes, 10 shy of the club record set by Brad Guzan in 2006. Only Kansas City in 2000 and the Miami Fusion in 2001 have started a season as strongly as Chivas this year, and Chivas Coach Preki played on both of those teams. Chivas midfielder Sacha Kljestan will serve a one-game suspension tonight.

-- Grahame L. Jones