CHIVAS USA WELCOMES CUAUHTÉMOC BLANCO AND THE FIRE FOR THURSDAY NIGHT BATTLE: First-place Chivas USA squares off against Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the second-place Chicago Fire this Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center in one of the most anticipated matches of the year. The Fire are coming off a 1-0 win at New York and are the only remaining undefeated team in MLS, with a record of 4-0-6 (W-L-T), for 18 points, while Chivas USA has a 7-1-3 record, six points ahead of Chicago. The match is Blanco's final road game before joining the Mexican National Team for the upcoming 2010 World Cup Qualifiers for 'El Tri', and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Please check below for a full training schedule for both teams. For more information on the match, or to purchase tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.
ARSENAL U-8 BOYS OF SANTA ANA IN THIS WEEK'S 'YOUTH SOCCER SPOTLIGHT': This week's Youth Soccer Spotlight is the Arsenal U-18 boy's team from the Santa Ana Youth Soccer Association. Each week, Chivas USA's Youth Soccer Spotlight features a local soccer team or club at every Red-and-White home game. Teams are highlighted on Chivas USA broadcasts, as well as on-field prior to kickoff, and even get to take a team photo on the Red-and-White's bench. For more information on the Chivas USA Youth Soccer Spotlight, or nominate your team, please contact Chris Wode at cwode@cdchivasusa.com, or 310-630-4581.
CHIVAS USA TO HOLD YOUTH SOCCER CLINIC IN LOS ALAMITOS TUESDAY NIGHT: Los Alamitos will host a special Chivas USA youth soccer clinic this Tuesday night, May 26, at Los Alamitos High School. The event, part of a partnership that has helped raise money to refurbish the school's varsity soccer field, will consist of free soccer instruction from Chivas USA players and coaches, including Los Alamitos H.S. alum and current Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein, as well as a meet-and-greet with players at the conclusion of the clinic. The event will take place at Los Alamitos High School, 3591 Cerritos Ave, Los Alamitos, Calif., 90720, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. PT; for more information, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.
RED-AND-WHITE COME FROM BEHIND TO TIE KANSAS CITY ON THE ROAD: Chivas USA used a 64th minute goal from forward Eduardo Lillingston, his team-leading fourth on the season, to earn a 1-1 road tie with the Kansas City Wizards this past Saturday. Sasha Victorine assisted on the goal, giving the midfielder a goal and two assists in two matches against the Wizards since arriving to Chivas USA in a trade with Kansas City on Sept. 15, 2008. The Red-and-White out-shot the Wizards 15-8 on the night, and finished the match two players up due to red cards to the Wizards, but could not find the winning goal. The tie improves Chivas USA's record to 7-1-3 (W-L-T) on the season, keeping the team in first place in MLS, six points ahead of the second-place Chicago Fire, who visit the Red-and-White this Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. PT. For more information on the match, or to purchase tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.
GOALKEEPER ZACH THORNTON TAKES MLS LEAD IN GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE: Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton leads MLS in goals against average with a miniscule .55 mark, having allowed just six goals in 11 games this season. In addition to his GAA, Thornton also set a new club record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal earlier this year, going 401 minutes between April 22 and May 16, beating the Red-and-White's previous record of 334 minutes, set by Brad Guzan in 2006. Thornton also currently tops MLS with six shutouts so far in 2009, and has 64 shutouts in his career, one behind San Jose's Joe Cannon for second on the MLS all-time charts.
CHIVAS USA'S JORGE FLORES AND GERSON MAYÉN EARN START WITH U.S. U-20 TEAM: Chivas USA youth products and current first-team players Jorge Flores (Anaheim, Calif.) and Gerson Mayén (Los Angeles, Calif.) both started the United States Under-20 National Team in a 2-1 win over the Costa Rica U-20's today at the Sarasota Polo Grounds in Sarasota, Fla. Mayén played the first half, while Flores played 89 minutes in the victory. Both players are currently with the U.S. U-20's for camp running from May 23-28, and the team will play another friendly against Costa Rica on May 27. All games and training sessions will take place at the Sarasota Polo Grounds in Sarasota, Fla. The camp is part of the United States U-20 National Team's preparation for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which takes place in Egypt from Sept. 24-Oct. 16. The United States has been drawn into Group C alongside Germany, Cameroon and Korea Republic for the tournament.
BORNSTEIN AND KLJESTAN NAMED TO U.S. NATIONAL TEAM AHEAD OF QUALIFIERS: Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan were named to the United States National Team's 24-man roster that will train in advance of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica on June 3 and Honduras on June 6. The squad, selected by head coach Bob Bradley, will begin assembling on May 26 in Miami, and depart June 1 for San Jose, Costa Rica; Bornstein and Kljestan will join after Thursday night's match vs. the Chicago Fire. The U.S. is in first place in the final round hexagonal with an undefeated 2-0-1 record. Costa Rica sits one point behind, while Honduras holds the third position. The top three teams will automatically qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Bornstein has made a total of 14 appearances for the U.S., and Kljestan has 16.
INJURY UPDATE: In the latest Chivas USA injury news, defender Claudio Suárez was removed from the club's Disabled List, making the veteran defender eligible to participate in official MLS games. In other news, Sacha Kljestan suffered a mild left ankle sprain in this past Saturday's match at Kansas City, and is questionable for Thursday's game against Chicago.
CHIVAS USA INJURY REPORT (As of Monday, 5/25):
Bobby Burling Sports hernia surgery Out
Ante Jazic Concussion Out
Dan Kennedy Right knee sprain Out
Ante Razov Right ankle surgery Out
Lawson Vaughn Left ankle surgery Out
Justin Braun Concussion Questionable
Sacha Kljestan Left ankle sprain Questionable
Claudio Suárez Left calf strain Questionable
CHIVAS USA U-18'S EARN THREE WINS AT SPRING SHOWCASE IN FLORIDA: The Chivas USA U-18 and U-16 Teams were in Florida this past weekend for the Development Academy's Spring Showcase event, which took place in Sarasota, Fla. Both teams played three matches, and the Chivas USA U-18's went a perfect 3-0, beating Sockers FC of Chicago 2-1, Greensboro Youth Soccer 6-1, and Texans SC 3-1. The U-16's went 1-2 on the weekend, falling to Sockers FC and Texans SC, but beating Greensboro by a 3-1 score. For more information on the matches, visit the U-18 and U-16 team pages, and for more information on the Chivas USA Youth System, please visit http://web.mlsnet.com/t120/youth.
CHIVAS USA'S SUPERLIGA SCHEDULE SET, WILL OPEN AGAINST TIGRES UANL ON JUNE 20 AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER: Chivas USA has learned its schedule and opponents for SuperLiga 2009, the third annual competition that pits top soccer teams from Mexico and the United States against each other. The Red-and-White will open Group A action in SuperLiga on Saturday, June 20, when it hosts Mexican side Tigres UANL at 7:00 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. The Red-and-White will then travel to face MLS foes the Chicago Fire on June 23 at Toyota Park, before returning home to host San Luis of Mexico on June 27 at 7:00 p.m. at The Home Depot Center. Tickets are available by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or via cdchivasusa.com. A full schedule of SuperLiga matches available at cdchivasusa.com.
DON'T MISS 'SOMOS CHIVAS USA' THIS SATURDAY AT 1:30 P.M. PT ON KAZA AZTECA 54: Fans, don't miss Chivas USA's official weekly TV show, "Somos Chivas USA'. Featuring renowned co-hosts Mara Almada and Antonio Rosique, with reporting by renowned Chiva-expert Ramón Diaz, 'Somos Chivas USA' gives viewers an inside look at the Red-and-White, including player features, match analysis, highlights, and much more. This week's 'Somos Chivas USA' is scheduled to air on KAZA Azteca 54 in Los Angeles at 1:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 30, complete with special features and commentaries on Chivas USA. Tune in this Saturday for your 'Somos Chivas USA!'
GUADALAJARA UPDATE: VACATION UNTIL JUNE 1: Chivas de Guadalajara's Clausura 2009 has come to a close, and the team is currently on a break until June 1, when the players will report for Apertura 2009 preseason. More information on Chivas de Guadalajara can be found at the club's official website, http://www.chivascampeon.com/.
JOIN CHIVAS USA'S NEW SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE AT MYCHIVASUSA.COM: Last week, Chivas USA launched MyChivasUSA.com, a social networking site designed for fans of the Red-and-White. The social network was created using the Ning platform, and allows fans to customize a profile, set up blogs, add photos and videos, send messages and chat, track matches they've attended, and much more. Several Chivas USA players, including Jonathan Bornstein and Alecko Eskandarian, as well as members of the ChivaGirls, have already set up profiles on the page. Chivas USA season ticket holders and members of the Union Ultras and Legión 1908 supporters groups were among a select group of members invited to join the site last week. For more information, or to make your own account, please visit MyChivasUSA.com and click on the 'Sign Up' link.
CHIVAS USA 2009 SEASON SEATS: Chivas USA's 18-game Season Seat Package is on sale via 1-877-CHIVAS-1 and cdchivasusa.com. The package includes a seat at each of the team's 10 remaining MLS home matches, as well as three bonus games to be announced. Season Seat holders also have the right to exchange unused tickets, plus a host of other benefits. For more information, or to purchase your Season Seat today, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.
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