Chivas USA Weekly Update

Published on September 1, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


FREE PARKING AS CHIVAS USA FACES TAURO F.C. IN CRUCIAL CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MATCH: Chivas USA hosts Tauro F.C. in the crucial second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round matchup tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 7:00 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. Parking is free for all fans and media in attendance, as the Red-and-White look overcome Tauro's 2-0 lead in the two-game series. In order to advance to the Group Stage, Chivas USA must win on Tuesday by a margin of three goals or more, while a 2-0 Chivas USA win would send the game to a 30-minute overtime period and, if needed, penalty kicks. Any other result Tuesday and Tauro F.C. advances. Tuesday's game will also be televised live on Galavisión and Fox Soccer Channel. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1, visiting www.cdchivasusa.com, or through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com and 1-213-480-3232.

MEDIA GUIDELINES FOR TUESDAY'S MATCH: Please note that, per CONCACAF rules, Chivas USA and Tauro F.C. players and coaches be made available after Tuesday's match in a postgame press conference and mixed zone at the locker room level. There will be no locker room media access either pre- or post-game. In addition, TV stations should note that only Champions League rights holders are allowed to film during the match; all other cameras may record only post-game interviews. For credentials, Chivas USA season pass holders should present their Chivas USA credential at Media Will Call starting at 5:00 p.m. PT on the night of the match in order to be issued a special CONCACAF Champions League credential. Parking is free for all media and fans. Please contact Chivas USA Communications with any questions.

CHIVAS USA HITS THE ROAD TO FACE EASTERN CONFERENCE FOES: The Red-and-White depart Los Angeles on Thursday morning for a two-match road swing against a pair of Eastern Conference foes. First up, Chivas USA visits Toronto FC just one week after defeating Toronto 2-1 at The Home Depot Center. The match, at 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT) on Saturday, Sept. 6, will be the second and final match between the teams in the regular season, and Chivas USA will look to keep its all-time 3-0 record against Toronto unblemished. (The game will be broadcast live nationally on TeleFutura and locally on FSN Prime Ticket, as well as W Radio 690 AM.) The Red-and-White will then travel from Toronto to Massachusetts, where the Red-and-White will face the New England on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT) on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Chivas USA has already faced New England twice in 2008, losing 2-1 at The Home Depot Center in May, and then earning a 1-1 tie in Fullerton in SuperLiga on July 20.

KLJESTAN AND THOMAS TO JOIN NATIONAL TEAMS FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFYING: A pair of Chivas USA players will join their respective national teams for CONCACAF World Cup qualifying this week. Kljestan has been called up for the United States' upcoming matches against Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago, which will be played on Sept. 6 in Havana, Cuba and Sept. 10 in Bridgeview, Ill. In a bit of good news, Chivas USA learned late last week that Kljestan will join the U.S. squad following Chivas USA's match against Tauro F.C. Tuesday at The Home Depot Center. Defender Shavar Thomas, meanwhile, left on Sunday to join the Jamaican National Team for its next two matches, against Mexico in Kingston on Sept. 6, and at Honduras on Sept. 10. Both players will be with the teams through their countries' second matches on Sept. 10.

HARRIS GOAL IN STOPPAGE TIME GIVES CHIVAS USA 2-1 VICTORY OVER TORONTO: Chivas USA forward Atiba Harris scored his third goal of the season deep into stoppage time of the second half on Saturday night, giving the Red-and-White its first MLS victory since July 5. Alecko Eskandarian scored the first goal for Chivas USA, which equaled the score at one after Jim Brennan had given Toronto a 1-0 lead. The come-from-behind victory was just the second in Chivas USA's history, and moved the team into third place in the Western Conference, the final guaranteed playoff spot in the division. Zach Thornton made two saves in the Chivas USA net to earn the victory, while the Red-and-White offense outshot Toronto 20-5 on the night. The two teams face off again just one week later, this time in Toronto, on Saturday, Sept. 6.

INJURY UPDATE: ESKANDARIAN MAKES FIRST START FOR CHIVAS USA: This past weekend against Toronto FC, Alecko Eskandarian made his first start in a Chivas USA uniform, and scored the first goal for the Red-and-White in a 2-1 win. The 2004 MLS Cup MVP now has two goals in just 127 minutes of action for the Red-and-White. Defender Lawson Vaughn also started the match, playing the full 90 minutes in his first appearance since spraining his right knee on Aug. 9 at Kansas City, and his first appearance at right back since May 3 at Houston. Several other players for Chivas USA and continue their road to recovery and did not play: Maykel Galindo (sports hernia surgery), Jesse Marsch (fractured jaw), Claudio Suárez (R hip strain); Raphaël Wicky (R ankle surgery), and Alex Zotinca (R knee surgery).

‘KICK-IT' THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 AT THE STUDIO CITY RECREATION CENTER: ‘Kick-it at the Park L.A. with Chivas USA' continues this Saturday, September 6, with a clinic at the Studio City Recreation Center at 12621 Rye Street in Studio City. A series of four, 90-minute clinics kicks off at 9:00 a.m., followed by clinics at 10:45 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Run in conjunction with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, ‘Kick-it' is a series of clinics that emphasize physical fitness, sports, and education for as many as 400 children at each of 40 locations throughout the year. A five-dollar fee gets participants 90 minutes of instruction, a voucher for a free ticket to a Chivas USA game, a t-shirt, soccer ball, and Certificate of Completion. Most recently, Chivas USA held a clinic at the Adam Bischoff Soccer Fields at the West Hills Sports Center at 6900 Valley Circle Drive in West Hills on August 23. For more information on the program, or to register for a clinic, visit www.kickitatthepark.com.

CELEBRATE ‘THE YEAR OF THE EMPEROR' WITH CLAUDIO SUÁREZ' NEW BIOGRAPHY: After more than 20 years as a professional soccer player, Chivas USA's legendary Mexican defender Claudio Suárez has released his new biography, which contains photographs and stories gathered over the course of two years by both Claudio Suárez and renowned Mexican author Enrique León Candiani. Showing the dedication and determination of the Chivas USA central defender, the book documents the story of Suárez, who has won championships in the Mexican First Division, participated in World Cups, and made more international appearances for Mexico than any other player in history. The book is on sale online at Target.com, Soccer.com/Claudio, and Amazon.com, as well as in most bookstores across the United States and Mexico. The Spanish version of the biography is already out, and an English version will be released shortly.

REACTIONS FROM CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ON THIS WEEK'S ‘PASIÓN CHIVAS USA': Join Hipólito Gamboa and Rigoberto Cervantez this Thursday from 6:00-7:00 p.m. PT on W Radio 690 AM for ‘Pasión Chivas USA.' Cervantez and Gamboa will give an analysis of Tuesday night's CONCACAF Champions League match against Tauro F.C. of Panama, complete with interviews from players involved in the game. The pair will also preview Saturday away match against Toronto FC. All this, the chance to win Chivas USA tickets, and more on every ‘Pasión Chivas USA.'

'SOMOS CHIVAS USA' ON KAZA AZTECA 54 THIS SATURDAY AT 1:30 P.M. PT: Fans, don't miss Chivas USA"s official weekly TV show, "Somos Chivas USA'. Featuring renowned co-hosts Mara Almada and Antonio Rosique, 'Somos Chivas USA' gives viewers an inside look at the Red-and-White, including player features, match analysis and highlights, and much more. This week's 'Somos Chivas USA' is scheduled to air on KAZA Azteca 54 in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 12, at 1:30 p.m. PT. Tune in this Saturday for your 'Somos Chivas USA!'

EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS ON CHIVAS USA'S OFFICIAL BLOG: Chivas USA's official blog, ‘Dentro del Rebaño' (or ‘Inside the Flock') is online with updated content from the team, including video previews of upcoming games, as well as post-match videos. Check soon for video previews in English and Spanish for the match against Toronto FC on Aug. 30. Check http://chivas-usa.blogspot.com today for the latest information on Chivas USA!

CHIVAS USA BIRTHDAYS: A pair of Chivas USA midfielders, Sacha Kljestan and Jorge Flores, will celebrate birthdays in September. First up is Kljestan, who turns 23 on the 9th, followed by Flores, who celebrates his 19th birthday on the 16th.

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 1, 2008


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