Chivas USA's Playoff Opener Just 12 Days Away

Published on October 20, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


PLAYOFF-BOUND CHIVAS USA CELEBRATES FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT VS. HOUSTON ON OCT. 25: Chivas USA will play its final regular-season match against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. at The Home Depot Center, before heading to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the third straight season. Houston has already clinched first place in the Western Conference, and the Red-and-White have secured the second spot and will face either the Colorado Rapids or Real Salt Lake in the first round of the playoffs, starting Nov. 1. The Oct. 25 game is Fan Appreciation Night for the Red-and-White, with prize drawings, raffles, and giveaways held throughout the night. The first 7,500 fans will also receive a regulation-size Chivas USA soccer ball. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit www.cdchivasusa.com.

RED-AND-WHITE TO HOST SECOND-LEG PLAYOFF GAME ON NOV. 8: Having locked up the second spot in the Western Conference, Chivas USA will hold its second-leg playoff match, vs. the Colorado Rapids or Real Salt Lake, on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. Tickets for the Red-and-White's third consecutive appearance in MLS postseason play, starting at just $14, are now on sale by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1. The first 10,000 fans in attendance on Nov. 8 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, who will have an opportunity to purchase additional tickets at their special discounted rate. For a limited time, fans can buy the special Chivas USA Playoff Two-Pack, which starts at just $24 and gets fans into Chivas USA's Nov. 8 playoff game and the Red-and-White's regular-season closer on Oct. 25 vs. the Houston Dynamo, which is also Fan Appreciation Night. More information can be found at www.cdchivasusa.com.

INJURY UPDATE: RAZOV AND TALLEY RETURN TO THE FIELD: A pair of Chivas USA players who had been out due to injuries played in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids. Forward Ante Razov, who had been out for two games with a right calf strain, started the match and played the first 61 minutes of the match. Defender Carey Talley also returned from a concussion, playing the final 25 minutes. Paulo Nagamura, who was out with a sprained knee, also played 45 minutes in the Chivas USA Reserves' 2-1 win over Colorado on Sunday. Sasha Victorine left Sunday's first team match with a left knee injury; an MRI is scheduled for Monday evening. For a full copy of the latest Chivas USA Injury Report, please visit MLSnet.com.

CHIVAS USA AND AMERICAN SOCCER-TENNIS ORGANIZATION TEAM UP FOR EXHIBITION BEFORE SATURDAY'S GAME: Chivas USA and the American Soccer-Tennis Organization (ASTO) proudly announce an exhibition Soccer-Tennis Tournament to take place on Saturday, Oct. 25, immediately prior to the Chivas USA vs. Houston Dynamo regular-season finale. The exhibition will run from 5:00-7:15 p.m. in the Tennis Stadium at The Home Depot Center. Fans with tickets to the soccer match will be granted admission free of cost to the Soccer-Tennis Tournament, which feature current and former stars of the men's and women's United States National Team, including Eric Wynalda, Aly Wagner, Alexi Lalas, Joy Fawcett, and more. Soccer-Tennis is a lightening quick hybrid sport played on a tennis court with non-contact three-on-three action. For more information on the Soccer-Tennis Tournament, please visit: http://web.mlsnet.com/t120/chivas_de_corazon/2008/asto/

NEXT 'PRACTICE IN THE COMMUNITY' TO TAKE PLACE THIS SUNDAY, OCT. 26 IN MISSION VIEJO: Chivas USA will hold a special 'Practice in the Community' this coming 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. 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.

CHIVAS USA CANDIDATES FOR END-OF-SEASON 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. For this, the 2007 MLS Coach of the Year is being considered for the 2008 award, having guided the team around injuries to key players throughout an up-and-down season in which the team has recently won six of eight games. Also up for year-end awards are Justin Braun, whose four goals sets him in a tie among first-year players and includes him in the Rookie of the Year debate, as well as midfielder Sacha Kljestan, whose strong play throughout the year sets him up for a Volkswagen MVP bid. Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy is in the running for Newcomer of the Year, with three shutouts in his past five games, and 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, is up for Comeback Player of the Year.

CHIVAS USA RESERVES EARN THIRD CONSECUTIVE VICTORY: With second-half goals from midfielder Keith Savage and forward Anthony Hamilton, Chivas USA defeated 2-1 the Colorado Rapids Reserves in a match played Sunday afternoon on Field 6 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The win improved the Chivas USA Reserves' record to 4-3-3 (W-L-T), while the Colorado Rapids Reserves dropped to 4-5-2. The Red-and-White Reserves are now on a three-match winning streak, and close the season this week with two matches, facing the San Jose Earthquakes Reserves on tomorrow, Tuesday, at 4:00 p.m. on Field 6, and the Houston Dynamo Reserves on Sunday.

YOUTH UPDATE: CHIVAS USA U-18'S KEEP ON ROLLING: The Chivas USA U-18 Team continued its strong play, picking up its fourth straight win with a 5-2 victory over the Nomads SC in Development Academy action. Orr Baroush scored twice, and Jesse Paredes, Andy Lopez, and Polo Morales all added goals, including a bicycle kick by Lopez. The win moved the Red-and-White into first place in the SoCal Division of the Western Conference, and improved the team's record to 4-1-0 (W-L-T). The U-16's had less luck against the Nomads, falling 4-0 and remaining in second place in their division with a 2-2-1 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, OCTOBER 25 AT THE PALISADES RECREATION CENTER IN PACIFIC PALISADES: 'Kick-it at the Park L.A. with Chivas USA' continues this Saturday, Oct. 25, with a clinic at the Palisades Recreation Center, located at 851 Alma Real Drive, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. 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 Exposition Recreation Center at 3980 S. Menlo Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90037on Oct. 18. 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 AT 1:30 P.M. PT: 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. 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!

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 turned 35 on Oct. 10, while Burling celebrated his 24th birthday on Oct. 15.

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 20, 2008


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