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Chivas USA Playoff Update

October 27, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CHIVAS USA RETURNS TO TRAINING TUESDAY, FACES REAL SALT LAKE SATURDAY IN PLAYOFF OPENER: Chivas USA returns to training Tuesday at The Home Depot Center before kicking off its third consecutive post season campaign. Chivas USA faces fellow 2005 expansion side Real Salt Lake, in the postseason for the first time in club history, in the two-game Western Conference Semifinal, with Game 1 of the home-and-home series taking place this Saturday, Nov. 1, at 3:00 p.m. PT (4:00 p.m. MT), at RSL's brand-new Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Chivas USA will then host the decisive second leg on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. The first 10,000 fans in attendance for the Nov. 8 match in Carson will receive a free, limited-edition Chivas USA 2008 playoffs t-shirt. The match will be Bonus Game 'C' for media parking passes and Chivas USA Season Ticket Holders, and tickets can be purchased by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visiting cdchivasusa.com.

CHIVAS USA PLAYERS CELEBRATE EARLY HALLOWEEN WITH KIDS AT COMPTON'S CALDWELL STREET ELMENTARY SCHOOL TOMORROW: Tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 28, six Chivas USA players will celebrate Halloween with students at Caldwell Street Elementary School in Compton from 1:00-2:30 p.m. PT. The players will be in superhero costumes and will speak to the school children on a variety of topics, ranging from good health to celebrating Halloween safely. The players will also bring gifts and will also sign autographs for the Caldwell students, along with the ChivaGirls and Chivas USA's mascot, the ChivaFighter. Since Chivas USA will be traveling on Oct. 31 for Game 1 of its two-game playoff series (before returning home for Game 2, Nov. 8), the team is taking this opportunity to celebrate an early Halloween with local students.

RED-AND-WHITE FACE RSL WITH HISTORY ON THE LINE: Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake have been rivals since both teams joined Major League Soccer in 2005, and the Red-and-White hold the all-time advantage with an 8-3-3 record (W-L-T) against RSL. This season, as Chivas USA heads to the postseason for the third consecutive year, while RSL qualified the playoffs for the first time in team history. So far in 2008, the two teams have squared off three times, with Chivas USA winning twice and RSL capturing one victory. The first game was a 3-1 win for the Red-and-White in their home opener on April 5, followed by a 1-0 Real Salt Lake victory on June 14 at The Home Depot Center. The final match of the season was played in Salt Lake, and Chivas USA came away with a 1-0 win. The first-round matchup will could also be a homecoming, of sorts, for three Chivas USA players; forward Alecko Eskandarian, midfielder Atiba Harris, and defender Carey Talley all played for RSL last year; Talley even started the 2008 season with the Utah side.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE JUSTIN BRAUN AWAITS RETURN TO OLD STOMPING GROUNDS: Also returning home for the first-round playoff series is Chivas USA forward and Salt Lake City native Justin Braun, who finished the season tied for first in scoring among all rookies with four goals. Braun joined the Red-and-White in preseason after being spotted playing in an amateur tournament by Chivas USA Head Coach Preki for amateur side Olympique Montreux, and though the forward was playing men's league soccer a year ago, Braun has emerged as a MLS Rookie of the Year favorite. His 24 games played (12 starts) was tied for fourth on the team, and he scored four goals and added two assists on the season.

MORE CHIVAS USA CANDIDATES FOR YEAR-END AWARDS: Despite missing an average of nearly 6 players per game solely due to injury, Chivas USA Head Coach Preki has helped lead the Red-and-White to the playoffs again, giving the club its third straight berth in the postseason and is a solid contender to repeat as MLS Coach of the Year. Also in the running for year-end awards are midfielder Sacha Kljestan, whose strong play throughout the year sets him up for a league MVP bid. Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy is a serious candidate Newcomer of the Year, who posted a goals against average of 1.03 in his nine games, and Comeback Player of the Year contender Atiba Harris, who had one assist in 21 games last year for Real Salt Lake and now has three goals and five assists in 27 games for Chivas USA.

TEAM MVP SACHA KLJESTAN ALSO CAPTURES CHIVAS USA'S BUDWEISER GOLDEN BOOT: Chivas USA honored its team award winners on Saturday night prior to the team's 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo, and Sacha Kljestan also wrapped up the Red-and-White's Budweiser Golden Boot. Kljestan finished the regular season tied for first on the team in goals, with five, but his seven assists broke the deadlock with forwards Ante Razov and Alecko Eskandarian. The players honored on Saturday night were Claudio Suárez, winner of Chivas USA's Chivas Regal Award, for the player "who best represents the spirit of Chivas USA"; Defender of the Year Paulo Nagamura; and U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Jonathan Bornstein, as well as, midfielder Sacha Kljestan joins the elite company of Ramón Ramírez (2005), Ante Razov (2006), and Brad Guzan (2007) as Chivas USA's Most Valuable Player for 2008.

INJURY UPDATE: BACK TO TRAINING TUESDAY: Saturday night's match against Houston saw the return to the field for several Chivas USA players, including MF Francisco Mendoza (R foot contusion), MF Paulo Nagamura (R knee sprain), Claudio Suárez (L knee contusion), and GK Zach Thornton (L hamstring tear). The Red-and-White were without five others due to injury: DF Eric Ebert (R knee lateral meniscus surgery); FW Maykel Galindo (sports hernia surgery); DF Lawson Vaughn (L ankle surgery); MF Sasha Victorine (L knee sprain); MF Raphael Wicky (R ankle surgery) For a full copy of the latest Chivas USA Injury Report, please visit MLSnet.com.

CHIVAS USA RESERVES FALL TO HOUSTON IN FINAL MATCH OF 2008 SEASON: The Houston Dynamo Reserves captured the MLS Reserve Division title on Sunday with a 3-0 win over the Chivas USA Reserves in a match played on Field 6 at The Home Depot Center. The Dynamo Reserves, coached by John Spencer and with a final record of 9-1-2 (W-L-T), claimed their first Reserve Division championship and the $20,000 prize money that comes with the title. The Chivas USA Reserves finished the season with a 4-5-3 record (W-L-T). Roberto Nurse finished as the Red-and-White's leading scorer in the Reserve Division, scoring four goals and adding one assist in just six appearances.

YOUTH UPDATE: CHIVAS USA U-18'S STILL TOPS IN SOCAL DIVISION: The Chivas USA U-18 Team continued scoring goals and winning games, picking up a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Surf on Saturday. Polo Morales had his second hat-trick of the season, and Victor Sanchez, playing his first full game of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy season, added two more. The win kept the Red-and-White in first place in the SoCal Division of the Development Academy's Western Conference, and improved the team's record to 5-1-0 (W-L-T). After losing the opening game of the season, the U-18's have rolled off five straight wins, and on the year have scored 19 goals and given up just five. The Chivas USA U-16's had less luck at San Diego, falling 2-1 to the Surf on Saturday. Carlo Chueca had another strong game, assisting on the Red-and-White's only goal, scored by Alberto Velazquez. The loss dropped the U-16's to third in their division with a 2-3-1 record (W-L-T). More information on the Chivas USA's U-18 and U-18 Teams can be found in the latest Chivas USA Youth Soccer Update at www.cdchivasusa.com, or by visiting the Development Academy website.

'KICK-IT' THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1 AT SUN VALLEY RECREATION CENTER: 'Kick-it at the Park L.A. with Chivas USA' continues this Saturday, Nov. 1, with a clinic at the Sun Valley Recreation Center, located at 8133 Vineland Ave, Sun Valley, CA 91352. A series of four, 90-minute clinics kicks off at 9:00 a.m., followed by clinics at 10:45 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Run in conjunction with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, 'Kick-it' is a series of clinics that emphasize physical fitness, sports, and education for as many as 400 children at each of 40 locations throughout the year. A five-dollar fee gets participants 90 minutes of instruction, a voucher for a free ticket to a Chivas USA game, a t-shirt, soccer ball, and Certificate of Completion. Most recently, Chivas USA held a clinic at the Palisades Recreation Center at 851 Alma Real Drive, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 on Oct. 25. For more information on the program, or to register for a clinic, visit www.kickitatthepark.com.

LISTEN TO 'PASIÓN CHIVAS USA' EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT ON W RADIO 690 AM: Join Hipólito Gamboa and Rigoberto Cervantez for a special Playoff edition of 'Pasión Chivas USA', Chivas USA's weekly show on W Radio 690 AM, airing this Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6:00 p.m. PT. One of the most powerful AM radio signals in all of the western United States, XEWW 690 AM can be heard from Tijuana in the south, all the way to the San Joaquin Valley in the north. Don't miss the chance to learn more about your Chivas USA - as well as the chance to win tickets to the Red-and-White's next game, Sunday, Oct. 19, against the Colorado Rapids at The Home Depot Center.

WATCH 'SOMOS CHIVAS USA' ON KAZA AZTECA 54 THIS SATURDAY AT 1:30 P.M. PT: Fans, don't miss as special playoff edition 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 on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 1:30 p.m. PT. Tune in this Saturday for your 'Somos Chivas USA!'

VISIT 'DENTRO DEL REBAÑO', CHIVAS USA'S OFFICIAL BLOG: Chivas USA's official blog, 'Dentro del Rebaño' (or 'Inside the Flock') is online with updated content from the team, including video previews of upcoming games, as well as post-match videos. Check http://chivas-usa.blogspot.com today for the latest information on Chivas USA!

CHIVAS USA BIRTHDAYS: A pair of Chivas USA players, goalkeeper Zach Thornton and defender Bobby Burling, celebrated birthdays in October. Thornton turned 35 on Oct. 10, while Burling celebrated his 24th birthday on Oct. 15. Three more players have upcoming November birthdays; Jonathan Bornstein turns 24 on Nov. 7, Jesse Marsch will be 35 the next day, and on Nov. 11, Daniel Paladini also turns 24.



Major League Soccer Stories from October 27, 2008


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