109 — 109 — 109 — 109

By: Alex | September 25th, 2007

Chivas USA’s forward Ante Razov scored his 109th goal in his MLS career on Saturday night against the Kansas City Wizards. For those of us that were there, it was a screamer. A world class goal by any ones standard. Razov is now number 2 in the league for total goals scored just behind Jaime Moreno.

Cue the theme song.

While Jaime Moreno is the all time league leader, Razov is catching up fast. Currently Moreno has scored six goals this year. Razov is now on number 11. However, I would like to focus on some other contributions Ante has provided the team.

Ante has done a terrific job of creating an attacking Chivas USA. Anyone who has followed the team knows that they struggled in this department last year. Ante carried the front line last year. With Maykel coming into the picture, Razov does not have to carry all the weight on the front line. He no longer has to score all the goals. However, he has created a strike force.

Ante’s knowledge of the American soccer game is unmatched. I don’t think there is a smarter striker in the league. He can make runs and finish, but he can also create options with cheeky passes and quick ball movement. The service he has provided Maykel Galindo has allowed Galindo to score the amount of goals he has this season.

What this has done is created dynamic attacking team. What this season has done is taken the pressure off Razov and on Galindo. As defenses focus on Galindo, they forget about Mr.109. With Ante’s versatility on the field, it makes him a threat.

The other thing that he has done is help to mold Panchito Mendoza. In the beginning of this season, we had a kid that was fast but would not shoot. Now, defenders don’t know if he will shoot or pass and find the other two threats on the field. This combined with Preki’s attitude of team football has showed a front line playing in unison.

As Ante ages, he has stressed that he wants to play for the team for several more years. I see his expertise influencing the club for years.