UPPING THE ANTE STRIKER'S REUNION WITH LONG-TIME COACH PAYING OFF FOR CHIVAS.

Byline: MATT ZIMMERMAN Staff Writer

CARSON - Red-eyed, head down, speaking in subdued tones -- it was clear the surroundings of a happy locker room were secondary to Ante Razov.

It was early June, and Chivas USA had recorded its first victory in six MLS games against the Galaxy, a 2-1 triumph.

The former UCLA star, who had scored both Chivas goals, had little to say except that he was dedicating his performance to his grandfather Ivan Razov, who had died days before in Croatia; whose memorial services, in Croatia, his 32-year-old grandson missed to play for Chivas in that clash between L.A. rivals.

``I think when you're younger, maybe you take it for granted. You want to be away from your family, be young and be a guy, do your thing,'' Razov said. ``But as you get older, you realize people get older, and your grandparents maybe pass, or something happens, and you start to realize days are important with those people that you care about most.''

It's a sentiment that has spurred Razov, who returned home this season after nearly a decade toiling in Chicago, Columbus and New Jersey. He's among MLS's deadliest strikers, with 12 goals and eight assists as Chivas, after winning just four games in its inaugural season, is solidly in playoff position with nine regular-season games remaining.

This has been a resoundingly rewarding season for Razov, who grew up in Long Beach, moved to Fontana for high school and went on to a standout career at UCLA before joining the Galaxy in MLS' first season.

Reuniting with Bob Bradley, his coach in Chicago and last season with the MetroStars, has brought out the best in Razov, whose numbers -- and performances -- will weigh on MLS MVP voters' considerations at season's end.

He's never had to convince his teammates.

``The thing I've always appreciated about him,'' said Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch, who played with Razov for seven seasons in Chicago, ``is when you're in a tough game, and it's not easy, and your back's against the wall, you need guys that you can look around the field and be, like, `Who's with me? Who's on board with this whole project, and how can we push this, get over the hump and win this game?'

``Ante's always been one of the first guys that I would line up.''

Razov always has produced. He scored 40 goals at UCLA and has 96 in 11 MLS seasons, the league's third-best career mark. A difficult start to his career and subsequent resurrection in Chicago chiseled him into a first-rate striker. It led to opportunities with the U.S. national team, with which he's made 24 appearances -- the most recent two years ago -- scored six goals and was an alternate for the 2002 World Cup team.

He spent most of 1996, his rookie season, on the Galaxy's bench, then started four playoff games to help the club reach the inaugural MLS Cup, in which it lost in overtime to D.C. United. The following season, he saw action in just four games.

``You don't play in any regular-season games, but yet you play in all the playoff games,'' Razov said. ``Sends pretty much a mixed signal, I think, to a young player. ... It was never explained what I was doing wrong, what I was doing right.''

Chicago joined the league in 1998, Razov headed east, and Bradley, in his first professional head-coaching job after two seasons as an assistant to D.C. coach Bruce Arena, had no qualms telling Razov exactly what he needed. Being an effective forward, he said, takes much more than scoring goals, and Razov responded with a breakthrough year, starting 24 of 30 regular-season games and scoring 10 goals with nine assists as the Fire won the MLS title.

Bradley and Razov's partnership proved effective. Chicago won the U.S. Open Cup in '98 and reached another MLS Cup final in 2000. Razov scored 58 goals in five seasons with Bradley before the coach left to take charge of the MetroStars in 2003.

Razov also had a stint in Spain, playing 19 games and scoring six goals in 2000-01 season for second-division club Racing de Ferrol.

Injuries hindered his play in 2004, and he was sent to Columbus last season, during which he endured a short, difficult spell before joining Bradley in New Jersey.

Bradley, after a falling out with MetroStars management, took over Chivas last fall, and he traded for Razov before the season.

``We trust each other,'' Bradley said. ``He appreciates that I hold the bar high for him in all ways. And I appreciate that when I challenge him, I always get the feeling that he is going to go out on the field and give what he has.

``That's what trust is. It's not something that got built on by me telling him how good he was, or anything else.''

With trust sometimes must also come understanding. He was red-carded earlier this summer in a U.S. Open Cup showdown with amateur Dallas team Roma FC, and Chivas was ousted from the competition on penalties.

``He never wants to lose, and that's good for the team,'' said former Mexican national team star Francisco Palencia, Razov's strike partner. ``He's a winner, so sometimes when we are not playing well, (there's) frustration. Maybe that time, he was wrong, but I think everyone wants to have that kind of player on our team.''

Said Bradley: ``If I didn't know that he has that ability to keep himself going and learn from mistakes, he and I wouldn't have lasted long, because he's made a few along the way. But I'm always satisfied that when we speak about it that he doesn't make excuses, and he knows when he's let people down.''

Razov said this season has been like ``someone hit the reset button.'' He was selected to start in the MLS All-Star Game against English champion Chelsea earlier this month -- he had to skip the game to play in the Coliseum doubleheader featuring Barcelona -- and his revelatory play suggests he has a few good seasons left in him.

``What keeps me motivated is I want to keep playing. I don't want a real job,'' Razov said. ``In the end, I think this is all a big joke, that we certainly can make some good money playing soccer, which to me is pretty hilarious. I'm not going to let something take that away. ... Even days when you don't feel like coming out here, it's better than anything else I could think of, maybe, other than going to the beach.''

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Veteran striker Ante Razov, a former UCLA standout in his first season with Chivas USA, is the club's leading scorer with 12 goals.

Edna T. Simpson/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) no caption (Bob Bradley)

(3) no caption (Ante Razov)

Edna T. Simpson/Staff Photographer

Box:

THE RAZOV FILE

- Chivas USA