Chivas USA faces key tests at Houston, Columbus before returning home

Published on June 8, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CHIVAS USA HITS THE ROAD FOR KEY MATCHES AT HOUSTON, COLUMBUS AHEAD OF JUNE 20 SUPERLIGA OPENER: Chivas USA, the top team in Major League Soccer, hits the road this week for a pair of nationally televised road matches ahead of the team's debut in the 2009 SuperLiga, against Mexico's Tigres UANL, on June 20 at The Home Depot Center. First up is a Wednesday match at the Houston Dynamo, currently sitting at second place in the Western Conference, six points behind Chivas USA. The match will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, and locally on W Radio 690 AM. The team then moves on to play at the Columbus Crew on Sunday, meeting the defending MLS Cup and Supporters Shield winners for the first time in 2009. The match will be broadcast live nationally on TeleFutura and locally on Prime Ticket. The team then comes back to The Home Depot Center on Saturday, June 20, at 7:00 p.m. for the Red-and-White's first match of the 2009 SuperLiga, facing Mexico's Tigres UANL. For more information on SuperLiga, or to purchase tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.

CHIVAS USA LOOKING TO REVERSE HISTORY IN ESPN GAME OF THE WEEK AT HOUSTON ON WEDNESDAY: The Red-and-White meet one of their toughest rivals on Wednesday, as Chivas USA and the Houston Dynamo have faced off 12 times (including playoffs) since 2006, the Dynamo's first year in MLS, during which time the visiting team has never won a match. At Robertson Stadium, the Red-and-White are 0-5-2 all-time, but at The Home Depot Center, Chivas USA is 2-0-3 against the Dynamo. The Red-and-White were knocked out of the playoffs in 2006 by Houston, and in 2007 and 2008 the two clubs finished the regular season as the top two seeds in the West (Chivas USA in first in 2007, Houston in 2008). So far this season, Chivas USA is in first place in the Western Conference with a 8-2-3 (W-L-T) record, good for 27 points, six ahead of Houston in second at 6-2-3.

CHIVAS USA TO OPEN SUPERLIGA 2009 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, including special 2- and 3-game packs that include SuperLiga matches and the July 11 Honda SuperClásico vs. the LA Galaxy, are available by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or via cdchivasusa.com. A full schedule of SuperLiga matches available at cdchivasusa.com.

LILLINGSTON GOAL GETS CHIVAS USA BACK ON TRACK IN 1-0 WIN OVER SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC: Chivas USA topped Seattle Sounders FC for the second time this season on Saturday night, receiving a 38th minute goal from Eduardo Lillingston for the win. Lillingston now leads the team in goals, with five, and the league in game-winning goals, with three. Goalkeeper Zach Thornton made three saves to earn his league-leading seventh shutout and lowered his goals against average to 0.69. The win was the second for the Red-and-White over Seattle, having already defeated the Sounders on April 18 by a 2-0 score. The teams will meet for a third and final time on Sept. 19, at Quest Field in Seattle.

GOALKEEPER ZACH THORNTON HOLDS MLS LEAD IN SHUTOUTS, TIES CANNON MARK: Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton has been on fire so far in 2009, and currently leads MLS in shutouts, with seven, and has 65 shutouts in his career, tied with San Jose's Joe Cannon for second on the MLS all-time charts. In addition to the clean sheets, 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.

CHIVAS USA U-18'S QUALIFY FOR DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY PLAYOFFS: The Chivas USA Under-18 Team earned a 5-3 victory over the Irvine Strikers on Saturday at Cerritos College, giving the team a berth in the Development Academy playoffs which take place in Greensboro, N.C., from June 26-29. It is the first time that a Chivas USA Youth Team has qualified for the Development Academy playoffs; more information on the playoffs can be found in the Development Academy section of USSoccer.com. Meanwhile the U-16's ended their season with a 2-2 draw against Irvine. 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.

BORNSTEIN AND KLJESTAN ON U.S. NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER FOR CONFEDERATIONS CUP: Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan, who were both with the United States National Team for a pair FIFA World Cup qualifiers last week, have been selected by head coach Bob Bradley for the Confederations Cup, taking place this month in South Africa. The U.S. kicks off action against defending World Cup champion Italy on June 15, and then faces Brazil on June 18 before finishing group play on June 21 against Egypt. All 16 matches of the tournament will be available in high definition on the ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD. Fans can also follow all the USA's matches live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker. Bornstein has made a total of 15 appearances for the U.S., and Kljestan has 17.

INJURY UPDATE: Two players suffered concussions in Saturday night's match against Seattle Sounders FC, as both Shavar Thomas and Justin Braun are questionable for Wednesday's match at Houston. Below is the team's injury update; the most recent version is available at www.mlsnet.com.

CHIVAS USA INJURY REPORT (As of Monday; 6/8):

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

Cesar Zamora Left hamstring strain Out

Justin Braun Concussion Questionable

Shavar Thomas Concussion Questionable

CHIVAS USA'S 'STIMULUS PLAN' GETS SOCCER FANS INTO THE TOP MATCHES OF THE YEAR STARTING AT JUST $50: Chivas USA is offering fans the chance to watch the top matches of the year with the club's 'Stimulus Plan', a limited-time offer that gets fans into the top five Chivas USA home games of the 2009 season, plus a 'bonus' ticket to the July 11 Honda Super Clásico against the LA Galaxy, all starting at the bargain price of just $50. The plan includes Toronto FC (Aug. 22), New England (Sept. 13), Juan Pablo Angel's New York Red Bulls (Sept. 26), the California Clásico vs. San Jose (Oct. 17) and Fan Appreciation Night on the last day of the regular season against the Houston Dynamo (Oct. 25). The bonus 'Stimulus Game' is the highly anticipated Game 2 of the Honda Super Clásico series against intra-city rivals LA Galaxy on July 11. For more information, please visit cdchivasusa.com or call 1-877-CHIVAS-1.

TUNE IN THIS THURSDAY TO 'PASIÓN CHIVAS USA' ON W RADIO 690 AM: Fans can tune in to 'Pasión Chivas USA', airing this Thursday night from 5-6 p.m. PT on W Radio 690 AM. Hosts Hipólito Gamboa and Rigoberto Cervantez, who also serve as play-by-play and color commentator for every Chivas USA match of the 2009 MLS season, will review Wednesday's match at Houston and preview Sunday's battle against defending MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew. The official weekly radio program of the Red-and-White, 'Pasión Chivas USA' covers everything on the Major League Soccer club, from match commentary, recent news from the team, interviews, contests to win tickets to Chivas USA matches, as well as phone calls from fans listening to the show.

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 at19:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 13, complete with special features and commentaries on Chivas USA. Tune in this Saturday for your 'Somos Chivas USA!'

GUADALAJARA UPDATE: BACK FROM VACATION: Chivas de Guadalajara just returned from a brief break on June 1. The team is holding preseason training at Verde Valle for the upcoming Apertura 2009 preseason. More information on Chivas de Guadalajara can be found at the club's official website, www.chivascampeon.com.

CDCHIVASUSA.COM: THE TOP SOURCE FOR EVERYTHING ABOUT THE RED-AND-WHITE: With new features, videos, and articles every day, cdchivasusa.com is the top source for everything on the Major League Soccer's top team, Chivas USA. New videos are constantly added, ranging from the popular 'Chatting with Chivas USA' and 'Chatting with the ChivaGirls' series, to match previews and recaps, to other features on the team. Fans can also find articles on happenings within Chivas USA nearly every day, as well as Adrian Paul's offbeat column "Red-and-White Monday" every week. Visit cdchivasusa.com today to for all the latest news and information on the Red-and-White!

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.

VISIT 'DENTRO DEL REBAÑO', CHIVAS USA'S OFFICIAL BLOG: Chivas USA's official blog, 'Dentro del Rebaño' (or 'Inside the Flock') will contain updated content on the team throughout the season. Check out chivas-usa.blogspot.com today for the latest information on Chivas USA!

CHIVAS USA SCHEDULE: JUNE 9-20*

Tuesday, June 9: Training, 8:30 a.m. PT, Field 6; Travel to Houston

Wednesday, June 10: Chivas USA @ Houston Dynamo, 5:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. CT), Robertson Stadium, Houston, Tex.

(TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes; Radio: W Radio 690 AM; Pregame show starts @ 5:00 p.m. PT on W Radio)

- Chivas USA kicks off two-game road trip at Houston and Columbus before hosting Tigres UANL in SuperLiga on June 20

- Red-and-White seek first-ever win in Houston in nationally televised matchup of two of West's top teams

Thursday, June 11: Travel to Columbus

Friday, June 12 - Saturday, June 13: TBD

Sunday, June 14: Chivas USA @ Columbus Crew, 12:00 noon PT (3:00 p.m. ET), Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

(TV: Telefutura, Prime Ticket; Radio: W Radio 690 AM; Pregame shows start @ 11:30 a.m. PT on Prime Ticket and W Radio)

- Chivas USA plays second leg of two-game road trip before hosting Tigres UANL in SuperLiga on June 20

- Red-and-White take on Guillermo Barros Schelotto and the defending MLS Cup champion Crew

Monday, June 15: Travel to Los Angeles

Tuesday, June 16 - Friday, June 19: TBA

Saturday, June 20: Chivas USA vs. Tigres UANL (Mexico) 7:00 p.m. PT, The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.

(TV: TeleFutura; Radio: ESPN Deportes Radio)

- Chivas USA plays its first match of the 2009 SuperLiga, a tournament that includes four teams from MLS and four from the Mexican First Division

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 8, 2009


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