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Red Card to Child Labour

October 14, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


In 2012 alone, almost 168 million children worldwide between the ages of five and 17 suffered from child labor. Even though that number continues to decrease, it was the General Director at the International Labour Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder, who during the opening ceremony at the Third World Conference for Child Labour held in the Brazil capital of Brasilia, said "we still have to do better."

Using the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games to be hosted in Brazil as a platform, ILO presented the relaunch of the Red Card to Child Labour campaign. This initiative, born in 2002, uses this form of expression in sports to raise awareness of this topic across the world so it can be prevented and eliminated.

Chivas USA joined this initiative thanks to one of their activists, Jerry Salazar, a family friend of Red-and-White captain and goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

"Jerry is a family friend so he reached out to me knowing that it was related directly with soccer," explained Kennedy. "They are pushing for the campaign to be greatly exposed in the World Cup in Brazil, so whenever these opportunities come up to help such a good cause out, we obviously here at Chivas USA try to go out of our way to accommodate."

The entire Chivas USA team, led by Head Coach Jose Luis Real, got together prior to a recent training session at the StubHub Center's Field 6 to take a group picture in support of the campaign against child labor. It is because of public figures such as these that the various activations can have a stronger impact in building a world without child labor.

"We, as athletes, have the time but we also have the platform. I enjoy being involved with [charities] greatly, because at the end of the season, you can look back and reflect in the year and these turn out to be some of the better moments, knowing the impact that you can make off the field and help raise awareness or maybe brighten someone's day," described the keeper.

Because after all, who doesn't recall as a kid idolizing someone and how day after day we tried to imitate their steps? All around the world, soccer players continue being an admiration to kids and adults, thus forcing athletes to set a responsible and positive example. The magnitude of their impact increases with the use and growth of social media, a resource that brings players even closer to their fans.

"I remember very clearly how I was as a kid and how influenced I was by pro athletes and today with social media the whole platform is this whole new interaction that these kids get a kick out of it. They get an instant gratification by our ability to reach out to them and it shows that we can get information out there, such as great causes like the Red Card to Child Labour promotion.

"It's something that for me, there's a lot of great that needs to be done in this world and sounds like the red card campaign is yet another one of those things that is trying to make the world a better place," concluded Kennedy.

For more information regarding the Red Card to Child Labour campaign visit: http://www.iloartworks.org/child-labour/red-card-to-child-labour/

Red-and-White members know the Qualifiers' magnitude well

Tuesday's final round of World Cup qualifiers will, as expected, be full of crucial matches that will determine who gets a direct passage to Brazil 2014, who gets to breathe new life in their hopes and who will have the final nail driven into their coffin.

For teams such as the U.S., it is important to always have a good showing and come out to win to preserve that edge, says two-time World Cup veteran Carlos Bocanegra. The Stars and Stripes lead the CONCACAF region with 19 points and have already qualified for Brazil as the top team in the region and are fresh off a 2-0 shutout of Jamaica. Their opponent Panama, however, is among one of the teams fighting to stay alive and clinch the fourth place for the right to play New Zealand in a two-game home and away play-in series. For Bocanegra, who served as captain for the U.S., the motivation to play well should always be present.

"There's going to be a handful of new players getting in the starting lineup," the defender mentioned. "One, it's a World Cup qualifier and it's an awesome chance for these guys to show what they can do.

"It's a big game for Panama for them to have a fighting chance still. The guys that go in with the U.S. team every time they put on the jersey they're proud to play and play hard."

Although the U.S. is not playing for their Cup lives, their still exists an outside shot for them to secure a higher seed in the tournament, Bocanegra pointed out. And without question, the result will have a chain-effect, as will the countless other matches.

"The game might not be as chippie or aggressive in certain aspects but the guys are still going to be playing hard and we never want to lose. You don't want to go down there and lose ever. If the guys go out there and dog it, it's going to look bad on their career and their situation to make the World Cup team."

For fellow CONCACAF team Mexico, they hold their own destiny in their hands to extend their World Cup hopes. With 11 points, El Tri sits in fourth place, which if it stands, would have them battle the All Whites for one of the remaining spots in Brazil. However, Mexico has a solid chance of coming away with an automatic birth should they defeat Costa Rica in San Jose in convincing fashion and get some help from Jamaica over Honduras. Mexico is coming off a crucial win over Panama on Friday which opened the door for them to secure at least the fourth place with a tie or win, which former national team members such as Paco Palencia sees as new life for the Aztecas.

"Every opponent deserves respect," Palencia said. "They all work to win. Mexico simply has to follow the same road they took in their showing [on Friday]. They showed a very good disposition and an attitude to win.

We are here to support the team. With the win [on Friday] the team regained their confidence a little and the way I see it I think they have quality players, they are well managed, so we simply have to give them all our support."

Needless to say, the matches that will kick off on Tuesday will be emotion-packed and will be what countless players around the globe have been working for over the last years. As Ecuadorian national Oswaldo Minda mentioned, it is the pinnacle for a soccer player to represent his country in matches of this magnitude.

"You feel every possible emotion there is," Minda said. "The games at the national level are different; thankfully I have had the opportunity to experience them. It's a special motivation to know that you are one step away from obtaining the objective that you have battled for over the last four, five years. In these matches you give it your all."

Ecuador and Chile are tied at 25 points in CONMEBOL standings and square off in Santiago. A win or tie for either side would give them an automatic ticket. For the loser, they will be very weary of Uruguay, who with a win of their own would be right in the hunt for the final spot via goal differential.

Who will and will not make it to Brazil 2014? Leave your comment.

Below you will find a recap of the weekend's action for Chivas USA's Youth Development Academy:

Chivas USA's U23 Team earned their 15th consecutive victory on Saturday evening, maintaining their top position in the Coast Soccer League. The Red-and-White defeated LA Misioneros 4-1 at the Bell Gardens Sports Complex with goals from Ericson Penate, Javier Castro, Alejandro Martinez, and Anthony Dheming.

Penate opened up the scoreboard as early as the eighth minute of the match off a cross by Dan Delgado. Just seconds before the end of the first half, Misioneros was able to notch the equalizer, but the Red-and-White would come back to score three more goals in the 66th, 74th and 88th minutes.

Up next, Chivas USA's U23 Team will match -up against Pomona United for the second time this season. This match will be played on Saturday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m. (PT) at Veteran's Park Soccer Field #1.

In a double-match weekend, Chivas USA's U15 squad earned a draw and took a loss in their seventh and eighth games of the season. On Saturday morning, the Red-and-White earned a 1-1 draw with Albion SC. As early as the 12th minute, Albion scored the first of the game in a miscommunication between defenders and the goalkeeper. The young Goats had the opportunity to get back after the referee called a penalty kick in favor of Chivas USA, but unfortunately Christian Gutierrez missed as the opponent's goalkeeper made the save. It wouldn't be until the 75th minute when Josue Hernandez would send a pass to Cesar Becerra, who sent a ball directly at goal, scoring the 1-1 equalizer for the Goats.

The following day, the Red-and-White struggled as they fell 1-0 to DMS11 Academy on Sunday morning. Chivas USA U15s had a challenging first half as they turned their focus on defending. Coming back into the second half, the Red-and-White fought to get the winning goal, but in the 75th minute, after a double error, DMS11 was able to get the lone goal of the match. Chivas USA's U15 will host LA Premier FC next Sunday at 11:30 a.m. (PT) at the University of California, Irvine's Field 1.

Splitting their time and squad in Generation adidas Cup and CSL action, the Red-and-White U13 Team earned a 2-1 victory over CUSC 99 Blue on Saturday morning at UCI. The win is the first of the group since the first game of the season. Up next, the young squad will face FC Golden State Platinum on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 3:30 p.m. (PT) at UCI's Field 3.

Chivas USA Reserves arrive in San Jose

Chivas USA Reserves landed at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport around 3:45 p.m. (PT) ahead of their Reserve League game against the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 11 a.m. (PT) at the Nutrilite Training Facilities.

Tuesday's game will mark the final match of the season for the side led by the Red-and-White Assistant Coach Marco Fabian. The group is currently seated sixth in the West Division standings, ahead of Seattle Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers.

In their last meeting, San Jose took a 3-2 victory over Chivas at the StubHub Center's Track and Field Stadium on Sept. 30. Matthew Fondy and Jose Manuel Rivera led the scoreboard for the Goats while Mike Fucito and Jarad Vanschaik were the goalscorer for San Jose.

For all the news and to follow Tuesday's match, visit Chivas USA's Twitter account on @cdchivasusa.

Chivas USA kick off second consecutive bye week

Chivas USA kicked off their work week Monday morning at the StubHub Center's Field 6. The Red-and-White will have their second consecutive weekend off from league play before returning to action on Oct. 23 at Real Salt Lake. The session began at 9:30 a.m. PT and was split into two groups midway through, as the Reserves were programmed to travel today to face the San Jose Earthquakes in their final match in Reserve League competition on Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m. at the Quakes' Nutrilite practice facility.

Training initiated with a team jog around the pitch before completing a series of stretches in pairs. The entire group then rotated between three separate grids of torito for variation of competition. Afterwards the squad that was set to travel to Northern California worked on ball distribution utilizing nearly the full length of the pitch and under the instructions of Head Coach Jose Luis Real and his staff.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team worked on agility drills off to the side with Strength and Conditioning Coach Armando Camacho. The group first incorporated ball work at short distance by tapping the pass back to his teammate while being tethered by a third teammate for added resistance. The players continued their resistance training by completing sled races at distances of about 25 yards.

Practice then concluded with the designated reserve players working on corner kicks and additional tactical work before exiting the pitch for final preparations for their flight. The Goats will be looking to get back in the win column and add to their 4-6-1 record. San Jose will look to move up from their fourth-place spot in the West Division and 4-4-1 record.

The Rojiblancos will be without two key players heading into the match, as midfielder Jose Manuel Rivera and center back Steven Purdy are both recovering from recent surgeries. Rivera, who is among the Reserve side's goal leaders, had surgery on a fifth metatarsal fracture in his left foot on Oct. 4. Purdy is recovering from multiple facial fractures he suffered in the regular-season meeting between Chivas and the Quakes on Sept. 29, which the defender sustained in a collision with forward Steven Lenhart.

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