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Chivas USA Weekly Update

October 6, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CHIVAS USA TRAVELS TO SAN JOSE ON A THREE-MATCH WINNING STREAK: Chivas USA, riding a three-match winning streak and with five wins in the past six games, travels to San Jose this Saturday to face the Earthquakes in an important match for both clubs. With a win and the help of other results, the Red-and-White (11-10-6, 39 pts), could earn a spot in the postseason. Chivas USA has 39 points and is in second place in the Western Conference, four points behind the Houston Dynamo and four ahead of Real Salt Lake. The Earthquakes (7-10-9, 30 points) are also fighting for a spot in the playoffs, trailing the final playoff spot by four points, but having a game in hand on its rivals. This Saturday's game will kick off at 7:00 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on HDNet and KAZA Azteca 54 and W Radio 690 AM, and tape-delayed on FSN Prime Ticket (see schedule below for broadcast info). The match will be the Red-and-White's first game in San Jose since 2005, when the team went 0-1-1 against the Earthquakes on the road. With a win, Chivas USA will be on the team's first four-match winning streak in the club's history.

DEJAIR SCORES IN DEBUT, ESKY AND SASHA KEEP ROLLING, KENNEDY EARNS SECOND SHUTOUT: Chivas USA midfielder Dejair made his debut this past Saturday at D.C. United, and earned a goal and an assist in his first match with the Red-and-White. The Red-and-White's newest signing, Dejair is the third Brazilian to play for Chivas USA, joining his countryman Paulo Nagamura on the roster, and following Thiago Martins, who played with the team in 2005 and scored the very first goal in Chivas USA history. Alecko Eskandarian also continued his strong play on Saturday, scoring in his third consecutive match. Chivas USA is 5-0-0 in matches that Eskandarian starts, and since Aug. 30 the forward has scored against each of his previous MLS clubs (Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake, and D.C. United). Midfielder Sasha Victorine also helped the offense, scoring in his second consecutive match, which was his second start for the Red-and-White. The Corona, Calif. native has two goals in his three games for Chivas USA since arriving in a trade from Kansas City. Another local product, goalkeeper Dan Kennedy of Yorba Linda, earned his second shutout of the season against D.C., and lowered his goals-against-average to just 1.16 in the six matches he has played this season.

TWO HOME GAMES REMAIN FOR RED-AND-WHITE: After Saturday's match in San Jose, Chivas USA will return to The Home Depot Center for a pair of home games to close the regular season. First up is a battle against the Colorado Rapids on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 12:00 noon PT, in which the first 7,500 fans through the gate will receive a limited-edition Chivas USA hat. Kids 16 years and younger get in free with the purchase of an adult ticket as part of the 'Chivas USA Kids Pack,' with prices starting at just $14. Chivas USA will then host the Houston Dynamo on the final night of the regular season in a match that could be crucial to defining the Western Conference standings. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 25, and the first 7,500 fans will receive a special regulation-size Chivas USA soccer ball. There will also be prize drawings, raffles, and giveaways at the game. For more information, or to purchase tickets for either of the two remaining regular-season home games, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit www.cdchivasusa.com.

INJURY UPDATE: BORNSTEIN RETURNS: Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein returned from a concussion suffered two weeks ago against Real Salt Lake to play the final 36 minutes of the Red-and-White's 3-0 win over D.C. United on Saturday. Several players have recently returned to health for Chivas USA, and others, including Carey Talley and Ante Razov, will be working toward fitness this week. For a full copy of the latest Chivas USA Injury Report, please visit MLSnet.com.

PLAYOFF SCENARIOS: FOUR POINTS GUARANTEES A SPOT: Chivas USA heads to San Jose this Saturday with a chance to qualify for the playoffs, but the Red-and-White will need a win, plus help from other results around the league: Chivas USA can qualify with a win, IF both Colorado and FC Dallas fail to win on Saturday. The Red-and-White could also qualify with a win IF there is a winner in Thursday night's match between New York and Real Salt Lake, AND IF Kansas City fails to win on Saturday. Regardless, at this stage four points (a win and a draw) from its remaining three games will be enough to guarantee Chivas USA a third straight spot in the playoffs, regardless of other results.

CHIVAS USA FAN CLUB 'UNION ULTRAS' ORGANIZING TRIP TO SAN JOSE THIS SATURDAY: Chivas USA's 'Union Ultras' fan club is organizing a trip to San Jose for this Saturday's crucial road match against the Earthquakes. The fan bus will leave the San Fernando Valley at 8:00 a.m. PT on Saturday for the 'Turn-Around Trip,' and will return immediately after the match. The cost of the event, including a ticket to the match, is $70, and families are welcome. For more information, visit www.unionultras.com, or e-mail michoacanoxvida@aol.com.

NEXT 'PRACTICE IN THE COMMUNITY' TO TAKE PLACE OCT. 26 IN MISSION VIEJO: Chivas USA will hold a special 'Practice in the Community' on Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Youth Athletic Park in Mission Viejo. The Red-and-White and AYSO Area 11-L have teamed up to bring the event to Mission Viejo, and fans in attendance will have the chance to win prizes, meet and get autographs from their favorite players, as well as the ChivaGirls. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, and will be held at the Youth Athletic Park at 22056 Olympiad Road, Mission Viejo, Calif., 92691.

YOUTH UPDATE: CHIVAS USA U-18'S CAPTURE TWO WINS, U-16'S A WIN AND A DRAW: The Chivas USA Under-18 and Under-16 teams both enjoyed excellent weekends in the Development Academy, with the U-18's capturing a pair of wins, and the U-16's earning a victory and a draw. Both teams faced the De Anza Force on Saturday and then Cal Odyssey on Sunday; the U-16's first earning a 1-1 draw with De Anza, then beating Cal 5-1, and the U-18's winning by 3-0 and 4-0 margins. The stars for the U-16's were Bryan de la Fuente (3 goals on the weekend) and Carlo Chueca (1 goal, three assists). For the U-18's, Polo Morales stole the show, scoring five goals in the two games and bringing his total on the season to six goals in just three matches. The teams will next travel to Kinsell Field in San Diego to face the Nomads SC on Saturday, Oct. 11, with the U-16's kicking off at 1:00 and the U-18's at 3:30. 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, OCTOBER 11 AT VAN NUYS SHERMAN OAKS RECREATION CENTER: 'Kick-it at the Park L.A. with Chivas USA' continues this Saturday, Oct. 4, with a clinic at Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Recreation Center, located at 14201 Huston St., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. 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 El Sereno Recreation Center at 4721 Klamath St., Los Angeles, CA 90032on Oct. 4. 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 this Thursday for a special evening of Chivas USA soccer on W Radio 690 AM, as 'Pasión Chivas USA' airs 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 AFTER THE MATCH: 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 on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 9:30 p.m., after the Chivas USA match against the San Jose Earthquakes. Tune in this Saturday for your 'Somos Chivas USA!'

EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS ON 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!

PICK UP CLAUDIO SUÁREZ'S NEW BOOK: After more than 20 years as a professional soccer player, Chivas USA's legendary Mexican defender Claudio Suárez has released his new biography, 'The Story of a Warrior', which contains photographs and stories gathered over the course of two years by both Claudio Suárez and renowned Mexican author Enrique León Candiani. The exclusive biography faithfully tells the story of Suárez, who was born into a working-class family of nine children outside of Mexico City and would go on to win championships in the Mexican First Division, participate in two World Cups, and make more international appearances than any other player in Mexican National Team history. Pick up your copy today - 'The Story of a Warrior' is available online at Target.com, Soccer.com/Claudio, and Amazon.com, as well as in Borders and Sanborns bookstores across the United States and Mexico. The Spanish version of the biography is already out, and an English version will be printed shortly.

CHIVAS USA BIRTHDAYS: A pair of Chivas USA players, goalkeeper Zach Thornton and defender Bobby Burling, celebrate birthdays in October. Thornton will turn 35 on Oct. 10, while Burling will celebrate his 24th birthday on Oct. 15.



Major League Soccer Stories from October 6, 2008


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