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Burling Excited to be Part of Chivas USA's Plans

September 12, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


Chivas USA's Bobby Burling has started at center back in four-straight games for the Rojiblancos, and in that span they have come away with a pair of wins and a tie. And it appears that the six-foot-four defender will be making many more for the Goats in the years to come.

The club announced Thursday that it has signed the 28-year-old to a two-year contract extension that will keep him part of the Red-and-White backline through the 2015 season. The Loyola Marymount product appeared in 19 games this season and was re-acquired last year from the Montreal Impact. Burling made his debut with Chivas back in 2008 before and played nearly three seasons with the Goats before moving on to the San Jose Earthquakes. Now in his second stint with the Rebaño Angelino, Burling is happy to be a part of the long-term plans of the organization that gave him his pro start.

"It's my second stint with the club so there are a lot of familiar faces and relationships that I've made from the first time around," Burling said. "I think as part of the re-building process you have to be patient and we've made some big strides this year coming from the beginning of the season until now. If I can be a help and be part of the turnaround then all the better.

"[The club staff] has always told me from the start that they like what I bring to this club, both on and off the field, and they've been nothing but honest with me throughout the process and I just want to thank them. Obviously when a club goes through changes it's good to have some [continuity] and a core group of guys that are still around and I think they have done a good job with that."

As one of the youngest team's in the league, Chivas USA continued to develop as a group since the arrival of former Chivas Guadalajara manager Jose Luis Real back in June. The Red-and-White have rebuilt their starting 11 by incorporating both youthful talent and veteran skill to build a solid run as of late. The Goats are currently unbeaten in five of their last six matches at home and have recorded three clean sheets since Real's implemented a new defensive formation.

"It's a battle. It's a long season with a lot of parity in our league and we're just focusing on getting better and taking small strides right now with the hopes of continuing this momentum onto next year."

Despite being out of the playoff picture in the current Western Conference standings, the Rojiblancos are looking to close out the final third of the 2013 campaign in solid form. With six games remaining, the Rojiblancos have several key match-ups to prepare for, including two with Portland, the season finale with in-state rival San Jose and the third leg of the SuperClásico derby against their cross-hall rival the LA Galaxy.

As one of the squad's more experienced players, Burling will continue to be vocal on the pitch and in the locker room, he says, and contribute in any way needed - weather it be taking care of the dirty work in games or helping one of the youngsters on the squad.

"It's crazy to think that I am one of the older guys on the team. But if you look around the locker room youth is the movement right now. I've always felt that you have to have a good mixture of youth and experience and it has to be a cohesive group on and off the field, and I feel like we have that going for us right now," Burling concluded.

Villafaña hungry to pick up where he left off

After kicking off the 2013 campaign not quite at full speed because of a foot injury, Chivas USA midfielder Jorge Villafaña quickly regained his starting position at his familiar left wing spot. In his seventh season with the Rojiblancos, Villafaña eventually took the team-lead in assists but was recently again set back because of injury, this time a broken toe in his left foot.

After nearly a month of limited activity, the 23-year-old Anaheim, Calif. native returned this week to full activity with the First Team and will look to gradually work his way back into the list of 18 and eventually among the starting 11 once more. The left-footed attacker, who is also versatile enough to have played at left back last season, has for years now been known for his trademark crosses into the box from the left sideline, often getting them off cleanly with a defender challenging him and giving him little space to operate.

But Villafaña had to face a different challenge while coming back from the toe injury - patients.

"That's what it's about, patients," Villafaña said. "It can be boring sometimes, very frustrating to be injured and not being able to do anything or train. It's all about patients. And now, thankfully, it's about working harder than everyone else because you're back from an injury and trying to get to the rhythm that everyone else is to win my position back."

During his absence, the Goats have gone on a solid run at home of late, winning two-consecutive games at home to run their unbeaten streak at the StubHub Center to five out of the last six. Which makes Villafaña all the more eager to return to the pitch to contribute to the streak and continue developing along with his teammates under Head Coach Jose Luis Real.

"We've been playing well and the team has been grinding out results," Villafaña added. "You always want to contribute and take advantage of the opportunity given to you so the team can win."

Rather than simply sit back and go through motions of letting the injury heel, the seventh-year veteran took the time away from full activity to observe from afar some of the things he realized he could improve on.

"You start to see things that you can do better and work on. I've been analyzing and trying to do certain things better during my return. [The injury is] better know. Three weeks and now I'm back and just happy to put the cleats back on and touch the ball again," he concluded.

Villafaña will look to earn a spot in Real's 18 when the Rojiblancos square off against conference rival the Portland Timbers on Saturday beginning at 7:30 p.m. (PT). The match will mark the second leg of Chivas' two-game homestand and the second of three meetings programmed between the sides, where the Red-and-White will look to repay the Timbers for their loss back in May.

Going for third consecutive home win

Looking to play spoiler, Chivas USA will be fighting to earn their third consecutive home win as they host the Western Conference's fifth-place club the Portland Timbers this Saturday, Sept. 14 at the StubHub Center. In the past two home games, the Red-and-White earned a strong 3-2 win against top Eastern Conference squad the New York Red Bulls, and most recently defeated D.C. United 1-0 thanks to Erick "Cubo" Torres' seventh goal in nine games.

Also in the last match, Chivas USA goalkeeper and captain earned his third shutout of the 2013 season, and has been working throughout the week to earn his fourth this Saturday. In Chivas USA's next game, Kennedy and the Goats will be looking to once again play spoiler and continue their journey in earning the most points possible in the remainder of the season.

"We're trying to keep our home form going and we know Portland's a good team with some dangerous players; they're working hard on a playoff push so the pressure is very much on them. We're looking to build on what we've been working on and as long as we come out and put on a solid performance, it'll be enough to get a result," Kennedy told cdchivasusa.com

Against D.C. United, the defensive line played an important part in helping Kennedy earn the shutout. But without a doubt, the team's performances in the last few games have shown a massive improvement. Now a regular in the Chivas USA lineup, defender Carlos Borja has played in the team's last nine games, and expects to continue his and Chivas USA's positive run this Saturday against the Timbers.

"Like every opponent, we know that no game is easy," Borja said. "We're focusing on ourselves; we work on certain things that in the last games haven't gone so well. The most important thing is that we know that Portland has good players, but above all, great forwards. We know that we're going to have to be on top of our game in the backline, we have to be focused and we'll do all we can do to not get scored on.

Chivas USA's match-up against the Timbers will be televised live in English on KDOC and in Spanish on Mundo Fox-22 this Saturday, Sept. 14, starting at 7:30p.m. (PT) and can also be heard in Spanish on W Radio 690 AM. For all the latest news and updates on the club, follow us on Twitter: @cdchivasusa.

Chivas USA complete Day Three of work week ahead of Saturday

Chivas USA reported to the StubHub Center's Field 6 at 9:30 a.m. (PT) on Thursday to continue their work week ahead of Saturday's Western Conference clash against the Portland Timbers.

The Rojiblancos kicked off the session with a light trot around the pitch for initial warm-ups and then moved on to aerobic movements from sideline to sideline under the instructions of Strength and Conditioning Coach Armando Camacho. The squad then completed a set of supplementary stretches before incorporating the ball into their training. Players worked the ball in rows of three around obstacle poles for about five yards and exploded through an additional five before turning and dribbling the ball to the original spot.

The session then culminated with an 11-on-11 tactical scrimmage at full length of the pitch under the guidance of Head Coach Jose Luis Real for approx one hour, where the Red-and-White manager instructed both the offense and defense. Afterwards, the majority of the squad concluded their session by completing a series of stretches before walking off the pitch.

The Red-and-White will hold a final practice at Field 6 Friday morning to close out their work week before hosting the Timbers in the second leg of their three-game season series. The match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be televised in English on KDOC and in Spanish on MundoFOX 22. The game will also be broadcasted in Spanish on W Radio 690 AM.



Major League Soccer Stories from September 12, 2013


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