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Chivas USA Daily News

May 17, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


Chivas USA aren't going anywhere.

That's the official word from MLS headquarters in response to reports that the club is set to be taken over by the league and relocated.

"Major League Soccer is aware of recent media speculation concerning Chivas USA," read a statement from the league issued on Friday. "Such speculation is completely unfounded and untrue. MLS is fully supportive of the current owners of Chivas USA and has never considered taking over the club or moving it."

Chivas USA are looking to bring an end to a five-game winless streak when they host Real Salt Lake on Sunday in Week 12 regular-season action (7:30 pm PT, watch on MLS LIVE).

Preview: The Academy close season with YouthClásico

After 27 weeks of action, the 2012-2013 regular season of U.S. Soccer's Development Academy (USSDA) will come to a close for Chivas USA's U15/16 & U17/18 teams, facing local rivals the LA Galaxy this Saturday at The Home Depot Center.

The U17/18 teams will kick-off the second edition of the YouthClásico this season at 10 am in The Home Depot Center's Track and Field Stadium. The young Goats enter the match with a positive five-game unbeaten streak. Just last week, Chivas USA's U17/18 team defeated Real So Cal's youth club 3-1. Forward Caleb Calvert converted two goals for the Red-and-White and 2012 SueñoMLS winner, Armando Flores, scored the final third. This year, Calvert, 16, has notched a total of 21 goals with both the U15/16 and U17/18 teams, leading him to become the top goal scorer in the country for the Academy.

The Young Goats are currently in fifth place of the Southwest Division, and are qualifying to the playoffs in the eighth spot of the wildcard pool. Meanwhile, the LA Galaxy squad has not fallen in nine weeks, adding one point to their record after a 1-1 draw with the San Diego Surf. With all the results, the Galaxy's U17/18 team currently sits in first place of the Southwest Division.

After the first match, the action continues with the U15/16 teams. Like the U17/18 team, the U15/16 squad holds an 11-game unbeaten streak, most recently defeating Real So Cal in last week's action. With the win, the Chivas USA team was able to add enough points and earned the Southwest Division Championship. The Red-and-White are automatically qualified to the playoffs as the fifth overall team, and the best in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the LA Galaxy's youth squad is not qualifying to the USSDA playoffs, staying in seventh place of the Southwest Division, and they have not been able to win in their last two games. Last week, the Galaxy squad fell 3-2 to the San Diego Surf.

Chivas USA fans are welcome to cheer on the young Goats in the YouthClásico taking place in The Home Depot Center's Track and Field Stadium.

Training Report: Working with the possible starters

Chivas USA completed today their third consecutive day of training at The Home Depot Center's Track and Field in preparation for Sunday's home match against Western Conference rival Real Salt Lake.

The morning session started with a light team jog around the pitch for initial warm-up. The Red-and-White then completed a series of stretching as part of their warm-up routine before breaking out into pairs to work on short passing drills from about 10 yards apart. The drill then transitioned to each pair running in the same direction with the ball for ten yards.

The squad remained in pairs but were split into two groups, with the first continuing ball work from short distance, which incorporated balance and agility drills before passing or receiving the ball. The other half of the Red-and-White squad walked through a series of hurdle exercises. The hurdles were stepped over one after the other moving straight forward and then side-by-side. The Goats then transitioned to go under the hurdles one-by-one. The goalkeepers worked off to the side with goalkeeper coach Daniel Gonzalez in front of goal to complete individual drills from shots at close distances.

The pace of the practice was taken up a notch when all field players broke out into groups to compete in four versus two keep away drills, with the duo working in the middle to create turnovers.

Training culminated with a full field 11-on-11 scrimmage for approximately 40 minutes. The high-paced, physical session emphasized both sides going forward and trying to work the ball into their respective attacking third.

The morning concluded with a team cool down session which included stretching at midfield under the watch of strength and conditioning coach Osvaldo Scansetti.

Alvarez celebrates Fathers in event in LA

One of Chivas USA midfielder Carlos Alvarez' biggest influence in life has been his father. Not only has his dad supported him in and off the field, but he has played a huge part in Carlos' path to become a professional soccer player.

"Every Saturday and Sunday, I was always at the park watching him or my older brother play. He always had a soccer ball in front of us and he said that sports was always the way to go instead of falling into bad influences. He never drank or smoked in front of us and that's something that I admire of him," Alvarez commented about his dad.

This Saturday, Alvarez will take part of an exclusive family event called "Dad's and Family Day" in Robert F. Kennedy Community School Campus in Los Angeles. The event, sponsored by First 5 LA, is designed to celebrate fathers, grandfathers and male caregivers with children under five; a recent study showed that male presence in early years influence higher test scores and greater career success, something that Alvarez knows firsthand.

"There were days when we didn't want to go out and play and he would tell us 'get up and go have fun' and we'd go. Most of the time he would take us or encourage us to do sports; soccer was one of the thing we loved the most because we saw him play and saw it also on TV. He's always supported us even when we had bad games he would tell us our mistakes and tell us how to fix them," Alvarez added.

All ChivaDads with kids under five years old are welcome to take part of the event, and get a chance to meet Carlos Alvarez this Saturday, May 18 from 12-1:30 pm at Robert F. Kennedy Community School Campus located at 701 S. Catalina St. in Los Angeles, Calif.

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