CARSON, Calif. - Club Deportivo Chivas USA added four new players to its roster on Friday as it picked up goalkeepers Javier Barragán and Dan Kennedy and midfielders Helmis Matute and Mike Muñoz in Major League Soccer's 2005 Supplemental Draft, in which the league's 12 teams participated Friday morning via teleconference. Just as in the 2005 SuperDraft, the Red-and-White commanded the second pick in each round following fellow expansion club Real Salt Lake; unlike the SuperDraft, a trade moratorium was imposed on teams, and as a result the 48-pick Supplemental Draft was wrapped up in just 26 minutes.
With its first pick (second overall), Chivas USA chose 24-year-old goalkeeper Javier Barragán. The 5-foot-11 netminder, who played his last two college seasons just steps away from The Home Depot Center at California State University - Dominguez Hills, was first observed by the Red-and-White's coaching staff during the "Sangre Nueva" (New Blood) tryouts held by Chivas USA in late October 2004 in the city of Baldwin Park, California.
Born in Bellflower, California to parents from La Angostura, Michoacán, Barragán lived in Mexico from age five to nine before returning to Southern California, where he participated in local leagues. After two seasons (2000 and 2001) at California State University - Los Angeles (alma mater of Chivas USA Assistant Coach Martín Vásquez), Barragán transferred to Dominguez Hills, where in two campaigns (2002 and 2003) he started 38 of 43 matches, registering an impressive 148 saves.
With its second pick (14th overall), Chivas USA selected 23-year-old midfielder Helmis Matute of Virginia Commonwealth University, where Arlington, Virginia native appeared in 34 matches in two years (2003 and 2004). Matute began his college career at George Mason University, where in two seasons (2000 and 2002) he started 42 games, scoring nine goals. While in high school, Matute played for the Washington Diplomats, which he led to three Virginia State Championships.
With its third pick (26th overall), Chivas USA chose 21-year-old midfielder Mike Muñoz of the University of California - Berkeley. Born in Bellflower, California to a father from Acámbaro, Guanajuato and a mother from California, Muñoz played with current teammates Matt Taylor and Dan Kennedy for Orange County's Irvine Strikers club before entering college at Berkeley, where he started 60 of 63 matches in his first three seasons (2001-2003). In 2004, the playmaker started four regular-season games for the Bears before suffering a medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear in his right knee that sidelined him for the rest of his senior season.
And with its fourth and final pick (38th overall), Chivas USA chose 22-year-old goalkeeper Dan Kennedy of the University of California - Santa Barbara. Born in Fullerton, California, Kennedy played alongside Chivas USA striker Matt Taylor in the Irvine Strikers and Orange County Blue Stars before entering college at Santa Barbara, where in four seasons (2001-2004) he started all 84 games of his college career, leading the Gauchos to their first three postseason appearances in school history (2002-2004) and to the 2004 NCAA Final, where UCSB fell to the University of Indiana on penalty kicks at The Home Depot Center.
Club Deportivo Chivas USA's four new players are expected to their teammates' after the squad's return from Guadalajara, where Thomas Rongen's men are currently training at the University of Guadalajara's "La Primavera" complex. For more information on Major League Soccer's new Mexican-owned expansion franchise and its preparations for its MLS debut on April 2, call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit www.CDCHIVASUSA.com.
CLUB DEPORTIVO CHIVAS USA'S 2005 MLS SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT PICKS:
[ROUND - PICK - PLAYER - UNIVERSITY - POSITION - HT - WT - BIRTHDATE - AGE - HOMETOWN, STATE]
1 - 02 - Javier Barragán - Cal St. Dominguez Hills - GK - 5'11 - 180 - 1980-11-14 - 24 you. - Long Beach, California
2 - 14 - Helmis Matute - Virginia Commonwealth University - M - 5'7 - N/A - 1981-03-27 - 23 y.o. - Arlington, Virginia
3 - 26 - Mike Muñoz - U.C. Berkeley - M - 5'8 - 150 - 1983-09-14 - 21 y.o. - Los Alamitos, California
4 - 38 - Dan Kennedy - U.C. Santa Barbara - GK - 6'1 - 200 - 1982-07-22 - 22 y.o. - Yorba Linda, California
