Minda Focused on Return

Published on October 21, 2013 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


When Chivas USA square off against Real Salt Lake in their road finale of the 2013 campaign on Wednesday, it will mark the end of their 16-day absence from Major League Soccer play. For midfielder Oswaldo Minda, the wait has been even longer.

The Ecuador national and capped member of La Tricolor last played on Sept. 29 against the San Jose Earthquakes, where he went the full 90 minutes of the home match. Minda also picked up a yellow card in the 31st minute, which forced him to serve a one-game suspension and miss the final leg of the SuperClásico a week later. Afterwards, the Rojiblancos had two consecutive bye weeks, and come Wednesday, Minda says he will be eager to take his customary spot in the Red-and-White midfield.

"I'm happy and with a lot of desire to start playing again, and as I mentioned, to do a good job and finish the season the best way possible," Minda said after Monday's training.

Minda returns for the Goats' penultimate match of the season and will do so against one of Major League Soccer's top clubs this season. With 53 points, RSL has already punched their ticket to MLS Cup, and will host Chivas at Rio Tinto Stadium, one of the toughest settings for visiting teams to secure three points. Minda joined the Rebaño last season and helped deliver a 1-0 win in March of 2012, and says it is not so much the setting that is the challenge, but RSL itself.

"It's due to them having good players and a good team," he mentions. "It is a team that, from what I know, has played together for years now, so that creates a team that plays in sync and is basically the same from prior seasons, in addition to their signings, so that makes them very strong."

The Rojiblancos dropped the first meeting in Sandy by the minimum difference back in April but had opportunities to come away with a road result. However, after not capitalizing on a penalty kick chance, the Goats went on to concede the clean sheet. Since then, the club has recorded three ties away from Carson and will look to throw a wrench in RSL's hunt for the Supporters' Shield, while continuing to give the young core of the Rebaño key experience on the road for the future.

"We have played a lot of games on the road where we have played very well, where we have taken leads and sometimes come away with ties or losses. But that is perhaps the product of the inexperience that the team has. You don't just go out and buy experience at the store, it is gained game after game, season after season, that is how the major teams are formed," Minda concluded.

Wednesday's match, which marks the third and final leg of the series against RSL, will be televised live in Spanish on Super 22.2 and can also be followed In Spanish on W Radio 690 AM.

Chivas' meeting against RSL draws closer

On Monday Chivas USA held their first of two training sessions programmed for this week ahead of Wednesday's conference showdown with Real Salt Lake. The players reported to the StubHub Center's Field 6 at 9:30 a.m. (PT) and began with a group stretch before moving on to complete agility drills under the instructions of Strength and Conditioning Coach Armando Camacho. The Goats completed various circuits of movements as well as short hurdles for muscle activation before incorporating ball work.

The session then culminated with an 11-on-11 tactical scrimmage led by Head Coach Jose Luis Real in reduced spaces for about the first 30 minutes. The pitch was divided into three segments and afterwards was extended to full length for approximately 25 minutes of additional competition.

Players then concluded the morning with a cool-down session and supplementary stretches before being dismissed for the day. The Red-and-White will return for a final practice Tuesday morning before traveling to Utah for their road finale programmed for 6 p.m. (PT) at Rio Tinto Stadium. Wednesday's match will also mark the third and final leg of the series against RSL. The game will be televised live in Spanish on Super 22.2 and can also be followed In Spanish on W Radio 690 AM.

Recap: Challenging week for CSL Teams

It was a challenging weekend for Chivas USA's Development Academy teams as they continued action within the Coast Soccer League. The following is a recap of the weekend's action:

On Saturday afternoon, Chivas USA's U13 Team earned a 1-1 draw with FC Golden State Platinum at the University of California, Irvine. After starting off strong, the young Goats were able to notch the first goal of the game thanks to a penalty kick scored by Louis Arellano in the second half. Despite creating more scoring chances to increase their lead, FC Golden State found the equalizer 12 minutes before the final whistle. The U13s will host FC Manchester United B99 Red next Saturday at 9:45 a.m. at UCI's Field 3.

The Red-and-White's U15 squad did not run with the same luck as they took a 5-2 loss to LA Premier FC on Sunday morning. Although the boys were feeling confident in the beginning of the match, LA Premier was able to score their first goal in a defensive error in the second minute. The Red-and-White tried to make a comeback in the game, having a few opportunities at goal, but unable to finalize, something that led Premier to take advantage and score in yet another mistake in the 16th minute.

Returning to the second half, Coach Miguel Ramos spoke with the group. The talk caused a boost in the team's confidence, which was reflected on the field. In the 49th minute, Christian Gutierrez scored the first for Chivas USA off a great play by Cesar Becerra. Close to the end of the match, Christopher Huerta was able to get the second goal for the Red-and-White, but it was not enough as the team fell 5-2. Next Saturday, the U15 group will face HG Eagles Soccer Club at 8 a.m. at UCI's Field 3.

Chivas USA's U23 Team 14-game winning streak ended on Saturday evening as they fell 2-1 to Pomona United in their second away match of the season. Even though the first half was very well played by the Red-and-White, Jose Gomez' goal was not enough to give the team its 15th consecutive win. A tough game is ahead for the U23 Team as they host Doxa Italia next Saturday at 7 pm at John Anson Ford Park in Bell Gardens.

For all the latest news and updates on Chivas USA's Youth Development Academy, follow us on Twitter: @ChivasUSAYouth & @cdchivasusa.

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 21, 2013


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