The only thing missing tonight at Red Bull Arena was Hope. On the night that Red Bull Arena entered the Twilight Zone, Hope was nowhere to be found in Red Bull Arena. Their four-game unbeaten streak abruptly came to an end as the Red Bulls were humbled 3-2 by Chivas USA.

No matter how loud and proud the South Ward enthusiastically chanted, they simply sounded hopeless. While there was no Hope, there was plenty of Braun to to go around. In layman terms, whatever chances the Red Bulls had of winning against Chivas USA was gone because there was no Hope within the confines of Red Bull Arena.

When South Ward member, Hope sadly informed the rest of her colleagues that she wasn't going to attend the game may have inadvertently determined the fate of her beloved New York Red Bulls. It's understandable if some of you considers this to be absurd but the proof is in the pudding.

Just as the game was about to go underway, Red Bull Arena experienced a power surge. Was it a power surge or the spirits of the RBA expressing their sadness about Hope's absence? Who knows?

As a result, the game was delayed by 31 minutes. Once the game commenced, the sponsors of Philadelphia Union, Bimbo Bread appeared on the advertising boards. Eventually things returned to a sense of normalcy, soccer fans in attendance were treated to fantastic first half where a total of four goals were scored.

Chivas USA forward Justin Braun opened up the scoring register when he scored his first goal of the season in the sixth minute of the match when he blasted a well-curled shot into the back of the net from the top of the penalty box.

At the 21st minute, Thierry Henry continued his scoring onslaught as he scored his fifth goal of the season. Accepting a well-placed lob from Rafa Marquez, Henry needed only two touches before his equalizer pasted Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

Despite the boisterous atmosphere generated by the South Ward, Justin Braun momentarily silenced them when he scored his second goal of the game in the 31st minute. Four minutes later, birthday boy Dwayne De Rosario tied the game two-all when he successfully converted a penalty kick.

The first half ended with both teams tied 2-2.

Despite taking nine corner kicks the second half, the Red Bulls were unable to find the back of the net. In addition, Red Bulls' defenders and goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul didn't have a solution for Chivas Justin Braun. Scoring his third goal in the 56th minute, Braun recorded a hat-trick while giving his teammates a 3-2 lead.

With the loss, the Red Bulls (4-2-3) matched their number of goals allowed with three. Nevertheless, they remain on top of the Eastern Conference. While a win would have provided some breathing room, the loss has the Philadelphia Union one point behind the Red Bulls.

For Chivas USA (3-3-3), they continue to play solidly for a team that started the season with two consecutive losses. Since March 26, the Goats have compiled a record of 3-1-3. Tonight's win have placed them in seventh place of the Western Conference.

While this game may have been a disappointment for Red Bulls' fans, their South Ward continues to deliver on their end. If you haven't been a game this season and you're in the NY/NJ area, please do so because the South Ward is the undisputed best fan base of any of the New York/New Jersey teams.

Hoping to rebound from this loss, the Red Bulls travel to Houston where they will face the Dynamo at the Robertson Stadium on Saturday, May 21. Following that game, the Red Bulls return to Red Bull Arena for their Wednesday, May 25, 2011 match against defending MLS Cup champions, the Colorado Rapids.

The only thing that remains uncertain is whether Hope returns to the South Ward to support her beloved Red Bulls.

Cesar Diaz covers soccer for LatinoSports.com. He also writes for 5 Points Press and USSoccerPlayers.com; your source for American Soccer news brought to you by members of the U.S. National Team. Easily accessible, you may reach Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer.

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