CARSON, Calif. - Following Sunday's electrifying 3-3 draw with the MetroStars in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the new-look Chivas USA (3-17-4, 13 pts.) returns to training at The Home Depot Center this week ahead of the team's final road match of August, in which it will travel to Texas to take on Western Conference rivals FC Dallas (10-7-5, 35 pts.) on Saturday, August 27 at 5:30 p.m. PT (TV: Fox Sports Net West, Fox Sports en Español, Fox Soccer Channel; Radio: KMXE Radiovisa 830; Web: www.CDCHIVASUSA.com). The match, which corresponds to Matchday 25 (of 32) of the 2005 Major League Soccer campaign, marks Chivas USA's final regular-season trip to the Lone Star State and its only 2005 regular-season contest at the newly inaugurated Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.
REFUERZOS, U.S. VS. MEXICO, SEPT. 3 AT HDC: Following Saturday's match against FC Dallas, Palencia, García and Chivas USA return to Southern California for yet another unique international doubleheader, to be held on Saturday, September 3 at The Home Depot Center. The evening kicks off at 4:00 p.m. PT with a massive in-stadium viewing party, with U.S. vs. Mexico World Cup qualifying match on the stadium's big screen, followed by Chivas USA vs. Columbus Crew - which will mark the home debuts of Chivas USA's new signings - on the main field at 7:00 p.m. PT. For information and tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit www.CDCHIVASUSA.com.
SPREADING THE NEWS: Chivas USA returned Monday to Southern California after Sunday's 3-3 draw with the MetroStars at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a match that marked the Chivas USA debuts of two of the team's four new signings, Mexican internationals M/F Juan Pablo Garcia and M/F Juan Francisco 'Paco' Palencia. After being presented alongside countrymen and fellow refuerzos D/M Héctor 'Pirata' Castro and GK Sergio García 'Matute' on Friday in a midday press conference at the ESPN Zone restaurant at Times Square in Manhattan, Palencia and García made an immediate impact in their first game for the Red-and-White, starting and scoring one and two goals, respectively. All four Chivas USA refuerzos will be eligible for this Saturday's match in Dallas.
RESERVES FALL 2-1 TO METROSTARS: On Monday morning, the Chivas USA Reserves (1-7-0, 3 pts.) fell 2-1 to the MetroStars Reserves (4-2-2, 14 pts.) at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, New Jersey, in the respective teams' eighth fixture of the 12-game 2005 MLS Reserve Division season. Isaac Romo opened the scoring for Chivas USA in the 34th minute with a powerful header off a cross from Christian Jiménez, but the MetroStars would come back on goals by Jarrod Laventure (44') and Mike Magee (85'). The Chivas USA Reserves return to official Reserve Division action on Sunday, September 18 when they host the San Jose Earthquakes Reserves at 10:00 a.m. at The Home Depot Center. For a full game report and additional information on Major League Soccer's inaugural Reserve Division, please visit: http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/mls/reserve/.
SEQUEIRA, FLORES IN MADRID: Following Sunday's match in New Jersey, Chivas USA D/M Douglas Sequeira and Athletic Trainer Alfonso Flores were whisked to New York's John F. Kennedy international airport, whence they departed for Madrid (by way of Paris) for today's match between the Major League Soccer Select XI team and powerhouse Real Madrid of the Spanish First Division, in the merengues' traditional season-opening match, dubbed the 'Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu'. The Costa Rican international played 16 minutes, entering in the 74th minute for Pablo Mastroeni in the MLS Select XI team's 5-0 loss to the nine-time European champions. Sequeira and Flores are to return to the United States on Wednesday and join Chivas USA's training on Thursday morning at The Home Depot Center.
MEXICAN PRESS TAKES NOTICE: The Mexican press has taken note of Sunday's successful debuts of Paco Palencia and Juan Pablo García. On Monday, leading national sports dailies ESTO and RÉCORD dedicated their respective covers to Sunday's historic match, with ESTO headlining 'Un Par: Palencia anota en su debut' (Two: Palencia scores in debut) and RÉCORD displaying large full-color photograph of Chivas USA striker celebrating his second of two goals. Meanwhile, the team arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday to find the awaiting cameras from Los Angeles affiliate KMEX Univision 34 and leading Mexican television network Televisa, both soliciting interviews with Palencia and García.
GUADALAJARA UPDATE: Club Deportivo Guadalajara, Mexico's most beloved soccer team - popularly known as 'Chivas' and sister club to Chivas USA - earned an important point on the road with a 1-1 draw against Tigres this past Saturday in Matchday 4 of the Mexican Apertura 2005 season. The match came after the team's announcement on Thursday that Spaniard Xavier Azkargorta, would replace Benjamín Galindo as head coach of Guadalajara (1-1-2, 5 pts.), currently in third place in Group 3 of the three-group, 18-team Mexican Apertura 2005 season. Guadalajara now faces two tests this week in Matchdays 5 and 6 of the Apertura: at home against Dorados Sinaloa on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. PT (TV: Galavision, tape delayed, 12:00 midnight; Radio: KWKW 1330 AM) and away to Santos on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. PT (TV and Radio TBC).
COMEDY NIGHT: Tickets are still available for Chivas USA's 1st Annual 'Noche de Comedia' (Comedy Night) at The Home Depot Center's Stadium Club restaurant this Thursday, August 25 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PT. The evening kicks off with music and a silent auction, followed by the evening's main attraction: a performance by 'the one and only' Gilbert Esquivel (as seen on Que Locos, Comic View, The Ortegas and the Apollo Comedy Hour). Music and a cocktail reception are to follow. Proceeds from the event go to the Fundación Chivas de Corazón, and tickets are available for just a $50 tax-deductible donation. For more information contact Chivas USA Community Relations Coordinator Alicia Mendoza at 310-630-4569.
COME TRY OUT FOR CHIVAS USA: Chivas USA invites male soccer players from 18 to 23 years old to show their talent during open tryouts scheduled for Monday, September 5 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT on The Home Depot Center's Field 5. For more information on these tryouts, which are free of cost, please contact Eduardo Creel at (310) 630 4550 x 3603 or by email at ecreel@cdchivasusa.com. In addition, there will be other tryouts for male players the age of 17, on September 12 and 13, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at The Home Depot Center's Field 7. And on September 19 and 20, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Field 7 will play host to another set of tryouts, in this case for players under the age of 19.
CHIVAS USA SOCCER ACADEMY: The Chivas USA Soccer Academy continues play this week, with two weekly sessions at The Home Depot Center, in preparation for the weekend's slate of games in the Baldwin Park Soccer League. For more information on the Academy, please contact Chivas USA Soccer Development Manager Eduardo Creel at ecreel@cdchivasusa.com.
MINI-CHIVAGIRLS: The ChivaGirls are offering a clinic for Mini-ChivaGirls, where young ladies from 3 to 15 years old will be taught to dance and perform cheering routines. The classes will be held Wednesday and Friday afternoons at The Home Depot Center, with a cost of $50 per month, plus uniform costs. Participants will have a chance to take the field with the ChivaGirls during select Chivas USA's home games, and will also be able to dance on the ChivaTown stage during halftime. For more information, please call ChivaGirls Business Director Elsie León at (310) 630 4550 x 3616.
'CHIVAS DE CORAZÓN': This and every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. PT, be sure to tune in to KMXE Radiovisa 830 AM for Chivas USA's weekly Spanish-language radio program, 'Chivas de Corazón', hosted by John Laguna and Mario Valadez. The one-hour program features news, interviews, analysis and fan commentary about Chivas USA and sister team Club Deportivo Guadalajara, popularly known as 'Chivas'. To participate in this exciting weekly program, please dial 1-877-883-0830.
CHIVAS USA INJURY REPORT
PROBABLE: Ezra Hendrickson (R quad strain)
QUESTIONABLE: Héctor Castro (L knee LCL sprain)
DOUBTFUL: Víctor Arbeláez (L adductor muscle strain), Thiago Martins (L ankle sprain)
OUT: Francisco Gómez (L quad strain), Matt Taylor (sports hernia surgery)
CHIVAS USA SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 23-28
*Subject to change. Unless otherwise noted, all trainings scheduled for The Home Depot Center. Media access provided after games, trainings and airport arrivals.
Tuesday, August 23: [Day off]
Wednesday, August 24: Training (10:00 a.m. PT); On TV: Guadalajara vs. Dorados (7:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. PT), Mexican Apertura 2005 Matchday 5 (of 18)
Thursday, August 25: Training (10:00 a.m. PT); English and Spanish classes for Chivas USA players
Friday, August 26: Training (10:00 a.m. PT); Travel to Dallas
Saturday, August 27: FC Dallas vs. Chivas USA (7:30 p.m. CT / 5:30 p.m. PT, Pizza Hut Park - TV (LIVE): Fox Sports Net West, Fox Sports en Español, Fox Soccer Channel; Radio (LIVE): KMXE Radiovisa 830; Web (LIVE STREAMING VIDEO AND AUDIO): www.CDCHIVASUSA.com)
Sunday, August 28: Return to Los Angeles; On TV: Santos vs. Guadalajara (4:00 p.m. CT / 2:00 p.m. PT), Mexican Apertura 2005 Matchday 6 (of 18)
