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Avila Welcomes Familiar Foe

July 15, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


Growing up in San Diego, Chivas USA midfielder Eric Avila broke into Major League Soccer with FC Dallas in 2008 after playing his collegiate soccer at UC Santa Barbara. His three-plus years in the Lone Star State only kept him a few hours away by plane from his native California, but when Avila was traded to Toronto FC during the 2011 season, the now 25-year-old says it was definitely career-changing.

On Wednesday, the first-year Red-and-White attacker will face his old club for the first time since being acquired by Chivas this off-season, when the sides square off at the StubHub Center beginning at 7:30 p.m. (PT).

"I never thought I would have been playing in Canada," said Avila. "The fans there are amazing. Obviously, you adjust to a different lifestyle. Canada was a very amazing experience for me. I loved Toronto, the people there, the fans, and all the players there, honestly, they're really good friends of mine. And there definitely is a good soccer culture up there, which made it very exciting."

Avila made 24 starts in 33 appearances with the Reds while tallying a pair of goals and four assists through the 2012 season. When the midfielder's rights were picked up by the Colorado Rapids in the 2013 Supplemental Draft, the Rojiblancos quickly jumped at the opportunity to get Avila in a Chivas uniform and worked out a trade with Colorado that gave them Nick LaBrocca.

Playing the furthest he had been from home helped develop Avila even further as a pro, and the six-year Major League Soccer player credited the move north of the border with helping him learn to adjust on the pitch.

"My time there really helped me as far as adapting to different styles and different coaching. I've had a number of different coaches in my career so I've learned how to adjust really quickly. My teammates there just made me feel at home and that just makes you feel comfortable to adapt and perform quicker," Avila added.

Now, as a member of Chivas USA, Avila has made 15 starts in 16 games and has become an integral part of the squad. Being able to continue to develop as one of the League's most dangerous attacking players is important to the midfielder, but being able to do so close to home makes it even more special, he explained.

"This is where I grew up and this is home. Every player likes to play in different cities, but coming back here, in front of my family, I'm very happy about that," Avila concluded.

Kennedy happy to be back home

Ten days, three cities and three games later, Chivas USA is back in LA and no one could be happier than goalkeeper and captain Dan Kennedy. In the team's international tour, the Red-and-White faced FC Dallas and Montreal Impact, earning two draws, and the team's first clean sheet of the season, to then finish with a bitter taste by losing to Philadelphia Union.

On Wednesday, Chivas USA will look to regain their unbeaten streak when they host Toronto FC in the only home game of the month at the StubHub Center.

"First of all, it's nice to be home. After a long road trip, a productive road trip, we go against a team that's in the same position we're in. We're both fighting, struggling for results and I expect it to be a good match, but we need to put a stamp on the game and get a victory," Kennedy said after Monday's training at the StubHub Center.

In the last game of the tour, the Goats faced Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. Despite going ahead in the scoreboard first and preserving the lead, external factors got in the way of the Red-and-White's road to victory, with the local team ending up with a 3-1 win.

"Unfortunately, it's not always the matter of play that dictates the game. We just have to put in a good performance, game got away from us for reasons that are not in our control and now we move on and re-group and be back at the StubHub Center," Kennedy added.

On Monday morning, Chivas USA returned to training to begin preparing for their fourth match in a 14-day span. Even though the group confessed being tired due to the long trip, they feel motivated and optimistic ahead of Wednesday's match against Toronto FC.

"It's the best part of the year, when there are games every four or five days. It's what we look forward to. This is what we live for," the Chivas USA goalkeeper finalized.

Training Report: Back in LA

After a 10-day international tour, Chivas USA returned to the StubHub Center on Monday morning to begin preparing for their Major League Soccer Week 20 match set for this Wednesday, July 17, at 7:30 p.m. (PT) against Toronto FC.

Reporting to the StubHub Center's Field 6 at 9:30 am, the Red-and-White kicked off the day with a short jogging session around half of the field. With the exception of the goalkeepers, Strength and Conditioning Coach Armando Camacho led the rest of the group to a series of sprinting exercises.

After warming up, Chivas USA began their regenerative work. For about 20 minutes, the Goats participated in a four-station conditioning course with the objective of recovering from last Friday's match.

Following the exercises, Coach José Luis Real led the team to an inter-squad scrimmage using only three-fourths of the field. The Goats focused on perfecting the defensive and offensive tactics. At around 11:20 am, the Red-and-White concluded the work for the day.

Chivas USA will return to training to the StubHub Center's Field 6 on Tuesday morning at 9:30 am in their final session ahead of their match against Toronto FC. Make sure to follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates and news : @cdchivasusa



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