Kennedy and Torres Praise Team's Chemistry

Published on August 29, 2013 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


With nine games remaining in their 2013 campaign, Chivas USA continue to gradually steer themselves in the right direction when it comes to results on the pitch. At the helm as the conductor is former Chivas Guadalajara manager and renowned soccer figure Jose Luis Real. When the Guadalajara native arrived in late June to take over a club that was mired in a five-game losing streak, the Red-and-White had recorded just one point since March and had tumbled to the last spot in the Western Conference.

Upon taking the reins of the squad, Real was welcomed by a group in need of a change and receptive to his new strategies. From the beginning of the season the Rojiblancos have displayed a drive and tenacity on the pitch and a loose and playful camaraderie inside the locker room.

It was that chemistry that allowed the mid-season transition to go over as smooth as possible and gradually start bringing Chivas positive results. With their win over the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, the Goats have come away with points in four of their last five games and are 2-4-4 in their last 10 matches.

One of the cornerstones and mainstays on the club and in the locker room has been goalkeeper and captain Dan Kennedy. His leadership on and off the pitch was instrumental in helping Real make the midseason switch in tactics and formation, which have slowly but surely begun to pay dividends in the style of play, competitiveness and results. Sunday's win, which helped close out a three-game homestand with a solid 1-1-1 record, will only continue to bolster the team's camaraderie and confidence, says the Red-and-White net minder.

"Going forward it just provides this young group with some much-needed confidence," said the sixth-year keeper. "We know that we can play with anybody in this League. We just have to make sure we continue to build and make the small strides forward that we can make and close this season out with a way of pride and competitive spirit that our fans deserve and we deserve for each other.

"We've got a lot of young players here that are really developing and hopefully with that development you just see us providing more consistent performances, and that's our main focus."

In addition to Kennedy's stellar performance in goal with his League-leading 88 saves, the club has been bolstered with the arrival of striker Erick "Cubo" Torres. The 20-year-old Guadalajara product has had an immediate impact with the Red-and-White. His two-goal performance on Sunday brought his season total to four in his first six games. Upon his arrival, Torres was welcomed by several familiar faces from his time with Guadalajara's First Team and Academy squads and has added to the group's chemistry.

"It's a very good group," says Torres. "We have a lot of teammates that are very humble and down to earth in the locker room. I think we have a group with a lot of solidarity that wants to do things the right way and represent the organization well.

"We are adapting to what the coaching staff asks of us. There have been some adjustments made and we are working with them the best way possible for the benefit of the team."

Up next for the Goats is a challenging two-game road trip, where they will square off against Western Conference rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Sept. 1 and three days later with Seattle Sounders FC in a yet another test of just how far the Rojiblancos have come along in their development. Sunday's match against Vancouver at BC Place will kick off at 4 p.m. (PT) and will be televised on KDOC in English and on MundoFOX22 KWHY-TV in Spanish. The match will also be broadcasted in Spanish on W Radio 690 AM.

Academy products Villafaña and Delgado return to motivate

Wednesday's "Practice in the Community" event at Chivas USA's Youth Academy facilities in Bell Gardens not only brought the First Team closer to their fans in a public yet intimate setting, but it served as a trip of nostalgia for several of the Rojiblancos' players.

Nine players on Chivas' current roster have at one time either been a part of or participated with the Red-and-White Youth Academy. And Wednesday's training session, which drew well over a thousand fans, academy youngsters and academy families, marked the return to the place where many of them got their start toward their professional journey.

"It was a great evening," said Jorge Villafaña, who joined Chivas' U-19 team after winning the Sueño MLS competition in 2009. "We came to enjoy a practice here in Bell Gardens with everyone having a good time watching us train and we were very happy to be here.

"There are a lot of memories of when I was training as a youngster on this very pitch and now to come back so they can see us is a beautiful feeling. We're very happy to come here and be with the people to be closer to them."

With a renewed commitment to scouting and signing local talent, seven of the nine players with Academy ties were either signed or acquired this season. Under the leadership of Academy Director of Soccer Sacha van der Most, the Red-and-White youth set-up has continuously produced youngsters who have been selected to participate with US youth national teams in prestigious tournaments and camps.

Midfielder Marco Delgado, who was signed last season, remembers his days in the Academy fondly and was all too thrilled to be able to visit the new and up-coming crop of youngsters.

"It feels great to be back out here," said the 18-year-old Delgado. "I was out here before joining the First Team and it's a good feeling to be back on the field where I started with Chivas USA, to show that it means a lot to us as players.

"These fans support Chivas all the way, they have Chivas in their heart and we enjoy it. It's not too long that I was in their position, it was just last year, and now I'm First Team. Hopefully I'm a role model to them and they look to do the same as I did. I hope to be an idol to these kids."

Indeed the youngsters can look to Academy products such as Villafaña and Delgado as inspiration that they too can ascend the ranks and possibly get an opportunity with the senior squad. Villafaña is in his seventh season with the club and has been with the team longer than any other player, while Delgado, in his second season, has made 10 starts in 13 appearances this year and has gradually become a regular in the starting lineup.

Up next for the Red-and-White duo and the rest of the Goats is a challenging two-game road trip, where they will square off against Western Conference rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Sept. 1 and three days later with Seattle Sounders FC. Sunday's match against Vancouver at BC Place will kick off at 4 p.m. (PT) and will be televised on KDOC in English and on MundoFOX 22 KWHY in Spanish. The match will also be broadcasted in Spanish on W Radio 690 AM.

Hilton named MVP in international tournament

At just 12 years of age, Chivas USA's U-13 player John Hilton has already began turning heads, sparking the interest of many teams worldwide. Among those teams has been England's Manchester City who invited Xuxuh, as he is best known among his teammates, to join their Youth Ranks for a one-week training session & a two-day tournament.

On August 24-25, the Long Beach, Calif., native and the youth squad of Manchester City conquered the international United Jeugd Cup in Holland. Not only did Hilton win the championship game but he already received the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.

Prior to the competition overseas, Hilton and Chivas USA's U14 squad participated in the 2013 Volkswagen Junior Masters National Championship as part of the Major League Soccer All-Star Game festivities. Hilton was key of the team advancing to the championship match after scoring three goals. Despite the group's effort, the U-14's fell in penalty kicks to SoCal United.

To add to his short but extensive résumé, Hilton has helped his team to many accolades, including one National Cup Championship, three State Cups and league cups and two Surf Cups. His talent has though surpassed the club level. In April 2013, Hilton was called-up to the United States U14 Boy's National Team as the Federation hosted a domestic training camp, in which the player was the side's youngest member.

After his great performance with City, Hilton returned to Los Angeles where he has already been training with his Red-and-White squad. Make sure to stay updated on this young star and on all the latest news involving the Youth Academy by following us on Twitter: @ChivasUSAYouth & @cdchivasusa .

Chivas USA host 'Practice in the Community'

More than a thousand fans got together at the Bell Gardens Sports Center to be with Chivas USA as they hosted their 'Practice in the Community' event on Wednesday evening. The entire team traveled to the city of Bell Gardens to honor their fans and spend time with them.

The Red-and-White also had a special visitor in the crowd, as Bell Gardens' Mayor Daniel Crespo and local elected officials attended the event. As part of their gratitude for the welcome and support, Chivas & Chivas USA Director of Soccer Francisco Palencia presented the officials with customized Chivas USA jerseys.

After a photo session with players and coaching staff, the group was ready to kick-off training with a light jog around the pitch along with the ChivaFighter mascot who joined the team in its first exercise of the night.

Practice then moved on to the tactical part with an inter-squad game under the close attention of the coaching staff. After almost an hour and a short talk regarding the recently concluded exercise, Head Coach Jose Luis Real ended the session with some stretching exercises.

After training, the First Team took the time to take a group photo with the club's Youth Development Teams. Following a brief meet-and-greet among the teams, fans in attendance had the opportunity to meet their players, who gladly signed autographs and took pictures with their followers. All fans were happy and thankful to have the opportunity to meet their favorite players in their local community.

B-roll of the first "Practice in the Community" event of the year can be found and downloaded by visiting https://mlssoccer.box.com/media

Chivas USA focus on tactical work

At approximately 6 p.m. (PT), Chivas USA headed out to the StubHub Center's Field 6 to celebrate their second training session of this week. On Wednesday evening the team went out to the Bell Gardens Sports Center to spend time with their fans in a "Practice in the Community" event.

The session began with a 10-minute warmup that consisted of a light jog and later exercises involving running with the ball while working in pairs. Meanwhile, the 'keepers got ready with Coach Claine Plummer who was shooting at goal.

Later on, Head Coach Jose Luis Real directed an 11-on-11 intersquad game in a reduced field that was also divided in three zones. On different occasions Real changed the objective of the game so they could focus in several tasks.

While some players headed back to the locker room, the forwards and offensive midfielders stayed behind working with Chivas Director of Soccer Francisco Palencia on the creation of attacking plays from the midfield.

At 7:30 p.m. (PT) the Red-and-White ended their session. The group will return to work on Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. (PT) at Field 6.

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Major League Soccer Stories from August 29, 2013


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